Traders are betting heavily on wild new upticks in bitcoin prices after next week's election.
Between the lines: Signs in the market indicate that folks trading on the future believe Republicans will have a strong showing in D.C.
Starting point: If you look at Deribit, the largest market for options in the crypto space, the two most popular call options for bitcoin are $80,000 and $100,000.
That's a bet that BTC will be trading above that price.
Currently trading near $71,000, bitcoin has gained over 32% on its most recent run since Sept. 6.
Bettors on Polymarket have been growing in confidence that Ohio will send a Republican to the Senate in this election.
The intrigue: The market shifted on Oct. 15, just two days before internal polling, scooped by Axios, showed that Republican nominee Bernie Moreno's team believed he was in the lead.
Between the lines: We have been following the Ohio Senate race closely because it's seen as crucial to the crypto industry.
Why it matters: The trend in states lately has been to pass laws affirming the right to participate in Bitcoin, either as a user or as an operator of the network, but New York got the ball rolling in 2022 by going the other direction.
What we're watching: Nov. 22. That's when the mining moratorium ends.
The authors of the 2022 moratorium have not replied to repeated requests from Axios for an update.
Zoom in: The legislation also called for a study on the environmental impact of mining.
The state's Department of Environmental Conservation declined to give Axios an update on the study.
Inflation is a hair's width away from the Fed's target. Spending and incomes are growing nicely. Wage pressures on businesses keep moderating.
Why it matters: That is the happy picture of the economy offered by Thursday's rush of data. It summarizes what the next U.S. president, who will be chosen in five days and inaugurated in less than three months, will inherit.
Private equity firms KKR and Energy Capital Partners announced a $50 billion strategic partnership that will invest in data centers and energy infrastructure for AI expansion.
Why it matters: This is the real AI gold rush, building the agent-agnostic architecture that will support any "above-ground" winners.
The Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation rose 2.1% in September compared to a year ago, within striking distance of the central bank's 2% target, the Commerce Department said Thursday.
Why it matters: That data, one of the last major reports before the U.S. election and the Fed's policy decision next week, confirms the economy is solid as inflation pressures recede.
Why it matters: B-school is an outlier — women represent the majority of enrollees at law schools and medical schools, and they surpassed men in undergrad enrollment decades ago.
Alphabet's strong third quarter triggered a sigh of relief among investors who remain just as focused on the company's core products as its ballooning AI investments.
Why it matters: Companies — Big Tech in particular — have been eager to strut their AI strategies to Wall Street. But those plans require big spending, and that cash has to come from somewhere.
The auditor hired to back the accuracy of Super Micro Computer's full-year financials just quit, saying it was "unwilling to be associated" with the report.
Why it matters: It's not a great look for a company reportedly facing a DOJ probe into accusations of accounting violations.
Shares in the computer server maker cratered over 32%.
Zoom in: Big Four accounting firm EY notified the company last week that it was resigning while questioning the company's "integrity and ethical values" related to its accounting practices, according to a regulatory filing today.
Eli Lilly, the maker of Zepbound and Mounjaro,found itself in the unexpected position today of trying to reassure investors about demand.
The intrigue: The biggest problem for makers of blockbuster GLP-1 weight loss and diabetes drugs to this point has been that there's simply too muchdemand.
Driving the news: Lilly today fell short of revenue and profit expectations for its third quarter, with disappointing sales of Zepbound and Mounjaro front and center.
Demand for the drugs has been strong, executives reiterated throughout the company's earnings call today, while insisting that competition from compounders was not a problem.
I didn't spend $120 to see "Postcard From Earth" last night inside the giant Sphere as a friend suggested.
But I did watch ads for Vice President Harris' campaign projected on 580,000 square feet of LEDs on its exosphere.
Between the lines: The spots coincide with Harris' visit to Las Vegas tomorrow and are another example of this year's creative campaign media strategies.
They also come as financial industry professionals — a key group of voters — descended upon the city for the annual Money20/20 conference.
💭 My thought bubble: My impression of the Sphere turned from eyesore to fascination as a variety of animations — from Halloween-themed spooky eyeballs to a Dodgers logo baseball — made for a fun light show.
Why it matters:The outbreak, tied to slivered onions and which now appears contained, is putting pressure on the fast-food chain to restore much-needed momentum from its new value meals.
There are plenty of imperfect things about the U.S economy. But they should not obscure a central fact about 2024: The economy has barreled forward with robust expansion, despite it all.
Why it matters: The latest GDP report shows the economy kept expanding at an above-trend pace in late summer, with ongoing strength that keeps defying naysayers.
xAI is in talks to raise "several billion dollars" at around a $40 billion valuation, just five months after it raised $6 billion at a $24 billion valuation, per The Wall Street Journal.
Why it matters: This illustrates how frontier model developers are the most capital-intensive startups ever, leaving early-aughts cleantechs in their digital dust.
Here's what's new on Prime Video, Disney+ and Netflix.
What we're watching: A look inside the life of a rap star, the reboot of a hit Disney Channel series and a front-row seat to Olivia Rodrigo's world tour.
Worthy of your time: A roundup of horrors, thrillers and true crime titles to stream.
As Elon Musk tells it, there are 7 million Tesla robotaxis already on the road today, and humanoid robots will soon do "anything you want" — mow the lawn, buy groceries or walk the dog.
Reality check: Such pronouncements have helped fuel the AI revolution and driven up Tesla's stock price — but in fact,Tesla's cars can't drive themselves, and its Optimus robots, which wowed attendees at a recent event, still need help from human operators.
