😲Justin Trudeau Announces Resignation

☀️Good morning. It's Tuesday, Jan. 7, and we're covering, Sony And Honda Unveil Afeela EV With Starting Price Of $89,900, Nvidia Unveils AI Model, Gaming Chips, And Toyota Partnership At CES 2025, Trump's 2024 Election Victory Officially Certified By Congress and much more. First time reading? Sign up to get this newsletter: Sign up here. 

We always Listen and respond to questions and feedback, email us at [email protected]

MARKETS

Cryptocurrency Prices by Market Cap

• The global cryptocurrency market cap today is $3.59 Trillion, a 1.87% increase in the last 24 hours.

• The total crypto market volume over the last 24 hours is $124.64B, which makes a 31.18% increase.

• The total volume in Defi is currently $9.38B, 7.52% of the total crypto market 24-hours.

• The volume of all stablecoins is now $114.62B, which is 91.96% of the total market 24-hour volume.

• Bitcoin’s dominance is currently 56.25%, an increase of 0.38% over the day.

Bitcoin Surpasses $100K As Crypto Market Rebounds In Early 2025

Bitcoin surged to nearly $102,000 on Monday, marking its return to six-digit territory for the first time since December 19, as the cryptocurrency market rebounded in early 2025. The broader crypto market, including altcoins like Ethereum and Solana, also saw significant gains. This recovery follows a correction in late 2024, when Bitcoin's price dipped to around $91,000. Institutional demand for Bitcoin has been growing, with companies like MicroStrategy and KULR Technology Group adding Bitcoin to their holdings. (Read Deeper)

BUSINESS & FINANCE

Sony And Honda Unveil Afeela EV With Starting Price Of $89,900

Sony and Honda have revealed that their Afeela electric vehicle (EV) will start at $89,900, with a higher trim priced at $102,900. This four-door, all-electric sedan combines Honda's manufacturing expertise with Sony's infotainment and software capabilities. Customers can now reserve the Afeela for a refundable $200 fee, available initially to California residents.

Why It Matters: The vehicle promises advanced features, including a movie theater-like display and a focus on sensor and screen integration. The Afeela EV is expected to combine Honda's manufacturing expertise with Sony's technological innovation, making it a competitive player in the electric vehicle market. Further details about the car will be released in a separate press conference. (Read Deeper)

U.S. Blacklists Tencent And CATL Over Alleged Military Links

The U.S. Department of Defense has blacklisted Tencent Holdings and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) for alleged links to the Chinese military, causing both companies' stocks to drop significantly. The blacklist, which discourages U.S. firms from dealing with companies on the list, targets companies with ties to the Chinese military or that support the civil-military complex.

Takeaway: The blacklist targets companies that may support China's civil-military complex, though it's unclear if Tencent or CATL directly engage with the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Both companies have denied military involvement and stated they will work with the Department of Defense to resolve the issue. The designation could hinder their relationships with US firms, especially since CATL supplies batteries to major automakers like Tesla. (Read Deeper)

TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE

Nvidia Unveils AI Model, Gaming Chips, And Toyota Partnership At CES 2025

Nvidia made several key announcements at CES 2025, highlighting new products and partnerships aimed at expanding its business. CEO Jensen Huang introduced "Cosmos," a new AI model that generates synthetic video to train robots and self-driving cars, reducing the cost of data collection. Nvidia also launched its RTX 50 series gaming chips, designed to provide cinematic graphics, and unveiled Project DIGITS, a $3,000 desktop computer for AI developers. Toyota announced a partnership to use Nvidia's Orin chips for advanced driver assistance systems in their cars.

Takeaway: Nvidia is expanding its business by introducing cutting-edge AI technology for robotics, new gaming chips with advanced graphics capabilities, and its first desktop computer for AI developers. The company is also collaborating with Toyota to power advanced driver assistance systems. These innovations have contributed to a surge in Nvidia’s stock, solidifying its position as the world’s second-most valuable company. (Read Deeper)

Germany's Ambition To Become A Semiconductor Superpower Faces Major Setbacks

Germany's ambition to become a global semiconductor powerhouse is facing serious challenges. The government's strategy, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, relied heavily on attracting major chip manufacturers like Intel to build cutting-edge production facilities in the country. However, Intel's recent decision to pause its €30 billion investment in Magdeburg due to market demand uncertainties has significantly undermined these efforts.

Takeaway: This setback, combined with other struggles from chipmakers like Wolfspeed and GlobalFoundries, has left Germany's semiconductor ambitions in disarray. While the government continues to pursue other investment opportunities, such as courting Samsung, the vision of turning Germany into a hub for semiconductor production looks increasingly unlikely to succeed, especially as political shifts loom and market conditions remain uncertain. (Read Deeper)

AROUND DE WORLD & POLITICS

Justin Trudeau Announces Resignation After Nine Years As Prime Minister

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation after nine years in office, citing internal party infighting and poor pre-election polls as reasons for his decision. Trudeau will remain in his role until the Liberal Party selects a new leader, who will also become prime minister and lead the party into the next election, expected no earlier than May.

Takeaway: The decision comes amid voter dissatisfaction over rising living costs and housing shortages, which have significantly hurt Liberal support. Recent polls show the opposition Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre, far ahead with 45% support compared to 20% for the Liberals. Trudeau’s tenure, marked by progressive policies and gender parity initiatives, faced mounting criticism in recent years. (Read Deeper)

Trump's 2024 Election Victory Officially Certified By Congress

Congress officially certified Donald Trump’s 2024 Electoral College victory, with Vice President Kamala Harris presiding over the process despite her loss to Trump. Trump received 312 electoral votes to Harris’s 226, with no objections from lawmakers, unlike the contentious 2021 certification. This marked a return to tradition after the January 6, 2021, insurrection, during which Trump supporters attempted to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

Takeaway: President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris emphasized the resilience of American democracy, noting the peaceful transfer of power despite past challenges. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who had been a target of Trump’s criticism for not rejecting the 2020 election results, praised Harris for overseeing the certification process. Trump, ahead of the certification, declared it a historic moment and anticipated his return to the White House on January 20, 2025. (Read Deeper)

ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

Nottingham Forest Could Be In the Title Race After Impressive Win Over Wolves

Nottingham Forest's impressive rise under manager Nuno Espirito Santo has sparked discussions about their potential title challenge, with the team currently sitting third in the Premier League, just six points behind leaders. After a 3-0 victory over Wolves, Forest is gaining attention as a serious contender, having already defeated Liverpool earlier in the season. While Nuno remains focused on the present and refuses to engage in title talk, others, like Jamie Carragher, believe that another win over Liverpool would solidify their place in the race. (Read Deeper)

Ice Spice Apologizes For Controversial Australian Festival Performance

Ice Spice issued a brief apology for a controversial appearance at an Australian festival, where she faced backlash for being late to her set and delivering a truncated performance. At the Brisbane edition of the Wildlands Festival on New Year’s Eve, the rapper arrived 30 minutes late, performed only two songs before her microphone was cut off due to strict scheduling. The festival organizers later explained that the timing issue was due to a curfew to ensure the final act could perform on time. (Read Deeper)

PODCAST(WHAT WE ARE LISTENING TO)

• Stig Brodersen, discusses the loneliness that can accompany financial independence and the importance of having a clear "why" to stay motivated. (Listen)

EXTRA BREVITI

• Dana White Joins Meta’s Board as Zuckerberg Expands Leadership Team. (Read More)

• Google Assembles New Team to Build AI Models Simulating the Physical World. (Read More)

• Nvidia Enhances Humanoid Robot Training with Apple Vision Pro. (Read More)

• The state of Washington has filed a lawsuit against T-Mobile, alleging that the company failed to secure personal data, resulting in a major data breach in August 2021. (Read More)