(Bloomberg) -- Pinegrove Opportunity Partners has raised $2.2 billion for its debut fund, closing a large investment round in a fast-growing niche of the venture capital market. The San Francisco-based firm is what’s known as a venture secondary. It buys existing ownership stakes in other venture-backed companies or funds rather than leading primary rounds that may fund a company’s future growth. The venture secondaries market has been growing and attracting interest as the traditional venture capital model ...

Core Viewpoint - Rick Rieder, BlackRock's fixed income chief, is emerging as a strong candidate for the Federal Reserve chair position, especially after positive comments from President Donald Trump [1][2]. Group 1: Candidate Evaluation - President Trump described Rieder as "very impressive" following a recent meeting, highlighting his potential as a candidate for the Federal Reserve chair [2]. - Rieder is among a select group of finalists to succeed current Chair Jerome Powell, whose term ends in May [2]. Group 2: Candidate Selection Process - Trump mentioned that the candidate pool has been narrowed down from 11 to potentially one, indicating a decisive selection process [2].

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures rose on Thursday following a more than 1% gain in major indices on Wednesday after President Trump withdrew tariff threats against the EU [1] - The 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.24%, while the two-year bond was at 3.59%, with a 95% likelihood of unchanged interest rates projected for January [2] Index Performance - Dow Jones increased by 1.21% to 49,077.23 - S&P 500 rose by 1.16% to 6,875.62 - Nasdaq Composite gained 1.18% to 23,224.82 - Russell 2000 saw a 2.00% increase to 2,698.17 [10] Stocks in Focus - Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) was up 1.60% in premarket trading, projected to post quarterly earnings of 8 cents per share on revenue of $13.38 billion [7] - Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) rose 1.06% after announcing a multiyear partnership with Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team to integrate cloud and AI technologies [7] - Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA) jumped 5.64% following positive updates on a cancer therapy study in collaboration with Merck & Co. Inc. [7] - The Metals Company Inc. (NASDAQ: TMC) gained 5.51% after a new rule by NOAA modernized regulations for deep-seabed mining permits [16] - Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) increased by 2.73% as CEO highlighted a memory chip shortage due to rising AI demand [16] Analyst Insights - BlackRock maintains a "pro-risk" investment stance for early 2026, driven by AI's transformative power and a supportive macroeconomic backdrop [11] - They expect the Federal Reserve to continue cutting interest rates, supported by a softening labor market and declining inflation [11] - BlackRock prefers equities over government bonds, keeping an underweight position on long-term U.S. Treasuries due to fiscal sustainability concerns [13]

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures rose on Thursday following a more than 1% gain in major indices on Wednesday after President Trump withdrew tariff threats against the EU [1] - The 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.24%, while the two-year bond was at 3.59%, with a 95% likelihood of unchanged interest rates projected for January [2] Index Performance - Dow Jones increased by 1.21% to 49,077.23 - S&P 500 rose by 1.16% to 6,875.62 - Nasdaq Composite gained 1.18% to 23,224.82 - Russell 2000 saw a 2.00% increase to 2,698.17 [10] Stocks in Focus - Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) was up 1.60% in premarket trading, projected to post quarterly earnings of 8 cents per share on revenue of $13.38 billion [7] - Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) rose 1.06% after announcing a multiyear partnership with Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team to integrate cloud and AI technologies [7] - Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA) jumped 5.64% following positive updates on a cancer therapy study in collaboration with Merck & Co. Inc. [7] - The Metals Company Inc. (NASDAQ: TMC) gained 5.51% after a new rule by NOAA modernized regulations for deep-seabed mining permits [16] - Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) increased by 2.73% as CEO highlighted a memory chip shortage due to rising AI demand [16] Analyst Insights - BlackRock maintains a "pro-risk" investment stance for early 2026, driven by AI's transformative power and a supportive macroeconomic backdrop [11] - They expect the Federal Reserve to continue cutting interest rates, supported by a softening labor market and declining inflation [11] - BlackRock prefers equities over government bonds, keeping an underweight position on long-term U.S. Treasuries due to fiscal sustainability concerns [13]

NEW: BlackRock says Ethereum powers 65% of tokenized assets and stands to benefit from tokenization growth.Source: Decrypt https://t.co/79kQkbUrsm ...

Core Viewpoint - President Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with Jerome Powell's tenure as chair of the Federal Reserve, suggesting that Powell's continued presence on the Board of Governors could lead to an unhappy experience for him [1][2]. Group 1: Federal Reserve Dynamics - The Trump administration has intensified its scrutiny of Powell, including issuing subpoenas related to a potential criminal investigation into the Fed's renovation of its headquarters, which Powell has labeled as political pressure [2][4]. - If Powell remains on the Board after his term as chair ends in May, he would maintain significant influence over monetary policy decisions [4][6]. - Powell's continued presence would also prevent Trump from appointing a new chair unless another current governor is selected, which would require the White House to fill the position currently held by Governor Stephen Miran [6]. Group 2: Search for New Chair - Trump's search for a new Fed chair is reportedly narrowing, with the president indicating that he has reduced the list of candidates to potentially one [7]. - The final contenders for the position include Rick Rieder from BlackRock, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Fed Governor Christopher Waller, and former governor Kevin Warsh [8][9]. - Hassett was initially seen as the frontrunner, but Trump has expressed concerns about losing a key economic policy messenger if Hassett were to move to the Fed [8][10]. Group 3: Confirmation Challenges - The ongoing subpoenas from the Trump administration may complicate the confirmation process for any new Fed chair nominee, with Senator Thom Tillis indicating he will oppose any nomination until the investigation is resolved [10]. - Trump has downplayed these concerns, suggesting that Tillis's political future is uncertain as he is not seeking reelection [10].

Core Points - President Trump signed an executive order to limit institutional buyers from acquiring single-family homes to enhance housing affordability for first-time buyers and young families [1][5] - The order aims to prevent large investment firms from utilizing federal housing programs to expand their rental portfolios, ensuring homes are directed towards families instead [2][5] Group 1: Executive Order Details - The executive order directs federal agencies to stop approving, insuring, guaranteeing, securitizing, or facilitating sales of single-family homes to institutional investors [3] - It mandates the promotion of "first-look policies," which prioritize individual buyers for foreclosed properties before large investors can bid [3] Group 2: Government Actions - Trump instructed the Treasury Department to review rules regarding institutional ownership of homes and requested the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to investigate potential anti-competitive practices by major landlords [4] - Housing officials are required to demand greater disclosure from companies and institutions involved in federal assistance programs [4] Group 3: Market Context - A 2024 report indicated that institutional investors owned 450,000 homes, representing 3% of all single-family rental homes, with the five largest investors owning 300,000 homes [6] - BlackRock Inc. stated it does not own any single-family homes, although it has other real estate exposure [7]

RT Ethereum (@ethereum)Ethereum is the #1 choice for global financial institutions.Over the last few months, adoption has accelerated. Here are 35 stories of how institutions are building on Ethereum.1/ @krakenfx launched xStocks on Ethereum, issuing tokenized versions of popular U.S. stocks and ETFs as ERC-20 tokens.Kraken’s eligible clients can now deposit and withdraw fully collateralized equities, directly on Ethereum.2/ @OndoFinance launched Ondo Global Markets on Ethereum with 100+ tokenized U.S. stoc ...

The world now places far less trust in us to help shape what comes next. >> This is it. It's happening. Finally, Bitcoin dips below 90,000. 200 million liquidated from crypto markets in 60 minutes. Prepare for a bounce. Prepare for a bounce. Why do I say this? Well, while at the same time we're seeing fundamental metrics at all-time highs across the board, stable coins, tokenized funds, tokenized commodities, tokenized stocks, Black Rockck CEO Larry Frink just sent a chilling warning to the other global eli ...

Core Viewpoint - Mastercard is exploring a strategic investment in blockchain infrastructure firm Zerohash after acquisition discussions ended, as Zerohash chose to remain independent [1][2]. Group 1: Acquisition Talks - Mastercard was in late-stage talks to acquire Zerohash for up to $2 billion, but these discussions have concluded [2]. - Zerohash has stated it is not considering an acquisition by Mastercard and aims to maintain its independence to foster innovation [3]. Group 2: Investment and Market Activity - Despite the end of acquisition talks, investment discussions between Mastercard and Zerohash are ongoing [2]. - The crypto merger and acquisition landscape is becoming more active, with a shift towards proven infrastructure projects rather than speculative protocols [4]. Group 3: Company Background and Financials - Zerohash raised $104 million in a Series D-2 funding round in October last year, achieving a valuation of $1 billion [5]. - The funding round included participation from notable investors such as Morgan Stanley and Apollo-managed funds [6]. - Founded in 2017, Zerohash provides APIs and developer tools for financial institutions to integrate crypto services, reaching over 5 million users across 190 countries [7].