Author: kumbhorg

First, happy new year!!! Yay. Today, the first day of 2026, crypto feels unusual given how fast things moved just months ago. BTC USD is sitting pretty at $87,000, barely changed from its price levels since Christmas. ETH USD is also grinding quietly, leveling just under $3,000 as the market eases into 2026. There is movement, but it is slow and measured, even if we have a sudden up and down movement, it looks just like it’s trying to duck both shorters and longers. This slower pace follows a difficult stretch. During 2025, the total crypto market cap slid from…

We survived another unhinged year in crypto. Barely. Now, before we collectively log off and touch some grass, here’s a wrap-up of 2025 – the biggest stories, the core narratives, and the vibe. The year of presidential rug pulls This is the sentence historians are going to underline. In 2025, politicians discovered memecoins, and the public learned why that’s a terrible idea. It started in January, when Donald Trump launched TRUMP. Days later, Melania Trump followed with MELANIA. Both followed the same arc: 👉 Explosive launches; 👉 Extreme insider concentration; 👉 Massive fee extraction; 👉 Then brutal collapses that wiped…

Created on January 01, 2026 The $55 level has been a major floor in the light sweet crude oil market.Crude OilCrude oil markets have been generally negative during December as we continue to pay close attention to a downtrend line. But perhaps more importantly, I think we’re going to continue to pay a lot of attention to the $55 level. The $55 level has been a major floor in the light sweet crude oil market, and I think that continues to be a major battleground.Whether or not we can break down below, there is still a question that remains to…

Though it isn’t the kind of thing one hears dis­cussed every day, seri­ous Dis­ney fans do tend to know that Goofy’s orig­i­nal name was Dip­py Dawg. But how many of the non-obses­sive know that Mick­ey’s faith­ful pet Plu­to was first called Rover? (We pass over in dig­ni­fied silence the qua­si-philo­soph­i­cal ques­tion of why the for­mer dog is humanoid and the lat­ter isn’t.) It is Rover, as dis­tinct from Plu­to, who pass­es into the pub­lic domain this new year, one of a cast of now-lib­er­at­ed char­ac­ters includ­ing Blondie and Dag­wood as well as Bet­ty Boop — who, upon mak­ing her debut in Fleis­ch­er…

Scorpio (October 23–November 21): “Jupiter (the planet of expansion) moves into Leo on June 30, activating the area of your chart around career, legacy, professional success. This powerful movement is going to encourage you to think bigger about the impact you’re leaving behind. This is a massive year for long-term planning, professional growth, and meaningful contributions. You’re being asked to invest in what matters most—not just for now, but for the future you’re building.” Sagittarius (November 22-December 21): “Expansion comes through exploration in 2026 as Jupiter moves into your travel and growth sector. Whether through literal travel, education, or spiritual development, this…

First things first: This is not a comprehensive feature of all the best video games of 2025. Loyal readers of this site will know that we don’t “cover the waterfront” when it comes to games, usually choosing to focus on games with what could be called cinematic influences or ties to films/TV like “Resident Evil,” “The Last of Us,” and “Uncharted.” For this feature of the best of 2025, we simply asked our regular game critics to pick three games they would recommend. So it doesn’t include several widely beloved games not by intentional exclusion but by the process. And…

If you’re building your to-be-read list for the coming year or a stack in case you’re snowed in, the editors at The Daily Economy would like to suggest some of our favorite and most-anticipated reads. Each book below combines thought-provoking (and often data-rich) prose on economic growth, innovation, and human flourishing. 1. Peak Human by Johan Norberg  Joakim Book reviewed a big new book for our 2026 reading list: Peak Human by Johan Norberg, which traces the rise and fall of seven of history’s greatest civilizations and shows how openness to ideas, trade, and human exchange has driven human progress. …

Wishing readers a very Happy New Year ! Some stuff I am reading today morning: Small Savings Schemes rates Jan-March 2026 (BT) India’s aluminium & steel exporters face shock (ABP) Govt approves package for Vodafone Idea (Rediff) India’s next Billion Consumers (Bloomberg) What worked in 2025 (Chart Kid Matt) A few themes for 2026 (Tanay Jaipuria) 12 Predictions for 2026 (Tomasz Tunguz) US markets are artificially inflated (GMO) China’s 6 Decade campaign to dominate Rare Earths (NY Times) Which kind of ‘enough’ (Seth Godin) Discover more from Alpha Ideas Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Cricket Australia have ushered in the New Year with a clear statement of intent, officially naming a ‘spin-heavy’ 15-player provisional squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. With the tournament set to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka starting this February, selectors have prioritized slow-bowling depth and versatility to combat the subcontinent’s expected turning tracks.Mitchell Marsh to lead a new-look attackVeteran all-rounder Mitchell Marsh will captain the side, continuing his leadership role in the shortest format. The squad features a fascinating blend of seasoned World Cup winners and fresh faces prepared for the heat of Asian conditions.Perhaps…

Arne Slot believes Liverpool will continue to improve as the season progresses and is confident his summer signings will grow into their roles as familiarity and consistency increase. The Premier League champions sit fourth in the table ahead of Thursday’s clash with Leeds and are unbeaten in seven games in all competitions, with recent performances suggesting a gradual return to form after a turbulent start to the campaign. Slot has seen encouraging signs from new arrivals such as Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike and is convinced there is more to come from them in the second half of the season.…