Maker – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com Latest Crypto News Tue, 09 Sep 2025 16:14:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.7 https://i0.wp.com/earlybirdsinvest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cropped-New-Project-2024-12-17T235703.455.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Maker – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com 32 32 240146708 Electric Car Maker Taps RLUSD For Payments As XRP Strategy Unfolds https://earlybirdsinvest.com/electric-car-maker-taps-rlusd-for-payments-as-xrp-strategy-unfolds/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/electric-car-maker-taps-rlusd-for-payments-as-xrp-strategy-unfolds/#respond Tue, 09 Sep 2025 16:14:01 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/electric-car-maker-taps-rlusd-for-payments-as-xrp-strategy-unfolds/

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VivoPower International’s electric-vehicle arm, Tembo, will start accepting Ripple USD (RLUSD) for payments, a move that could change how the company handles cross-border deals, a press release confirmed.

According to the company, the stablecoin will be used to speed up payments and cut the fees usually tied to bank wires.

Tembo Adopts RLUSD For Global Payments

Tembo serves clients in mining, agriculture, military, construction and humanitarian work. Many of those customers are in developing regions where bank transfers are slow and costly.

Based on reports, RLUSD can move value near-instantly across borders and at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. That is the main reason VivoPower gave for the change.

The Vehicles And The Services Around Them

Tembo builds electric utility vehicles designed for both on-road and tough off-road tasks. The fleet is aimed at jobs where reliability matters more than style.

Charging, financing, battery swaps and even microgrids are offered alongside the vehicles. Those services are now available to be paid for in RLUSD, which could make transactions simpler for local dealers and international buyers alike.

Ripple Partnerships And Market Moves

Reports have disclosed that RLUSD’s market capitalization rose roughly 10-fold since January. Ripple has been extending RLUSD’s reach through tie-ups with firms such as Chipper Cash, Yellow Card and VARL, and it recently rolled RLUSD into the Horizon RWA market owned by Aave.

Those moves are being watched closely by firms that handle cross-border trade. Adoption in Africa, parts of Southeast-Asia and the Middle East is reported to be growing.

Total crypto market cap at $3.87 trillion on the daily chart: TradingView

VivoPower’s Broader XRP Strategy

VivoPower has been clear that this is more than a single payment option. The company said it is shaping itself into what it calls an XRP-focused digital asset enterprise.

Holdings in XRP and equity in Ripple Labs are being added to the corporate portfolio. Some of those assets are being held for treasury purposes.

Other parts are planned to support decentralized finance infrastructure and real-world blockchain use cases connected to Tembo’s business.

Implications For Treasury, Liquidity And Local Markets

Market observers have pointed to links with institutional sponsors like Doppler Finance, suggesting RLUSD could play roles beyond payments — for liquidity management and corporate treasury planning.

If that happens, the stablecoin may be used as a bridge between fiat rails and DeFi tools in places where traditional banking is weak.

Vendors and partners in regions where Tembo operates could see faster settlements and fewer conversion fees.

Featured image from Westend61/Getty Images, chart from TradingView

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Is Ford Stock a Millionaire Maker? https://earlybirdsinvest.com/is-ford-stock-a-millionaire-maker/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/is-ford-stock-a-millionaire-maker/#respond Sun, 24 Aug 2025 12:06:06 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/is-ford-stock-a-millionaire-maker/ Investors don’t have to look hard to find reasons not to own this business.

Ford (F 3.44%) is a rare business because it’s been around for so long. Having been founded in 1903, the automaker has been an important part of the American economy. And its ongoing relevance shows just how successful it has been in its industry.

This auto stock is having a great year thus far. As of Aug. 19, it’s up 17% in 2025. But can Ford turn its investors into millionaires over the long term? Here’s what you should know about the Detroit car company.

A young, formally dressed investor stretched out in an empty bathtub is throwing money into the air.

Image source: Getty Images.

Looking at Ford’s business under the hood

With a history that spans more than 120 years, Ford has built up brand awareness simply from being around for such a long time. This brand recognition is also supported by the fact that the company’s F-series pickups have been the best-selling trucks in the U.S. for 48 straight years. That’s an unbelievable track record.

However, I think a deeper look at this company will reveal that it’s not a high-quality operation that investors will want to own for a long time. There are some key reasons why.

Ford isn’t going to post strong revenue growth consistently. Unit volumes were up 14.2% in the U.S. in the second quarter (ended June 30), thanks to significant demand during Ford’s employee-pricing program to boost sales amid trade and tariff uncertainties. This pace isn’t sustainable. Between 2014 and 2024, Ford’s top line increased at a compound annual rate of just 2.5%, a trend that seems likely to continue going forward.

The global auto industry is very mature in the sense that unit volumes won’t increase in any meaningful way on a yearly basis. Ford is making a push into electric vehicles, a part of the industry with potential, but this specific segment posted a $1.3 billion operating loss in Q2.

Cyclicality is another reason that investors should tread with caution. Cars are huge buying decisions for consumers, as opposed to being small, repeat purchases. This makes Ford’s demand highly sensitive to economic forces. If there’s a mild downturn or even a severe recession, sales could face significant pressure.

As a result, Ford’s low profitability, as demonstrated by its Q2 adjusted operating margin of 4.3% and adjusted return on invested capital of 10.1%, will take a hit. In fact, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the business post a net loss in an adverse economic scenario. Ford’s profitability leaves much to be desired, and it’s yet another reason this isn’t a great company.

Ford won’t make investors rich

In the past decade, Ford shares have generated a total return of just 33% (as of Aug. 19). At the same time, the S&P 500 index produced a total return of 267%. This disappointing track record adds fuel to the argument above that Ford isn’t a high-quality company. A smart rule of thumb to follow generally is that good businesses should produce returns that beat the market over the long term.

This stock won’t make investors rich. The chance for investors to achieve meaningful capital appreciation is very low, in my opinion. Owning Ford provides much less upside than owning a competitively advantaged technology stock, like Alphabet, for example, that registers strong earnings growth over the long run.

But if you’re someone who likes to generate income from the stocks in your portfolio, then Ford might fit the bill. The current dividend yield is a hefty 5.18%.

And if paying a cheap valuation is something you prioritize, then Ford stock’s forward price-to-earnings ratio of 10.3 might be an attractive proposition. It’s worth mentioning, though, that betting on a quick gain from the valuation multiple expanding isn’t really a game that long-term investors should be playing.

Ford is a symbol of American industrialism, but it’s not a millionaire-making stock.

Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Google’s AI video maker Veo 3 is now available via $20 Gemini https://earlybirdsinvest.com/googles-ai-video-maker-veo-3-is-now-available-via-20-gemini/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/googles-ai-video-maker-veo-3-is-now-available-via-20-gemini/#respond Sat, 05 Jul 2025 09:58:48 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/googles-ai-video-maker-veo-3-is-now-available-via-20-gemini/

Gemini

Google says Veo 3, which is the company’s state-of-the-art video generator, is now shipping to everyone using the Gemini app with a $20 subscription.

Previously, Veo 3 was only available in the United States via Flow, but you can now try it inside the Gemini app in India, Indonesia, and all of Europe.

Google says you’ll get 3 video generations per day and limit resets every 24 hours.

To get started, you need to subscribe to the $20 Gemini AI Pro plan.

Once done, open the Gemini app or Gemini.google.com, and select video. Then, you need to describe your video, including the story, context, characters, and you can even write your own dialogues.

Gemini will create a video with sound in minutes.

Unfortunately, as I mentioned, you can only create 3 videos a day, but that might change in the future.

Veo 3 isn’t free, but since it’s part of Google Cloud, you can use it for free by subscribing to the $300 trial offered by Google.

Tines Needle

While cloud attacks may be growing more sophisticated, attackers still succeed with surprisingly simple techniques.

Drawing from Wiz’s detections across thousands of organizations, this report reveals 8 key techniques used by cloud-fluent threat actors.

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Crypto market maker Gotbit and founder sentenced for fraud, manipulation https://earlybirdsinvest.com/crypto-market-maker-gotbit-and-founder-sentenced-for-fraud-manipulation/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/crypto-market-maker-gotbit-and-founder-sentenced-for-fraud-manipulation/#respond Sat, 14 Jun 2025 20:08:18 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/crypto-market-maker-gotbit-and-founder-sentenced-for-fraud-manipulation/

Gotbit Consulting LLC, a prominent cryptocurrency market maker, was sentenced in federal court for criminal charges related to a multi-year scheme to manipulate digital asset trading volumes, according to a June 13 press release.

Aleksei Andriunin, the firm’s 26-year-old founder and CEO, was sentenced to eight months in prison and one year of supervised release for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and market manipulation.

The Russian-Portuguese national was extradited from Portugal to the U.S. earlier this year after his arrest in October 2024.

Prosecutors say Gotbit orchestrated a sophisticated scheme between 2018 and 2024 that involved “wash trading,” which involves the use of multiple accounts to create fake trades and inflate apparent market activity, on behalf of various token issuers, including Robo Inu and Saitama.

Forfeiture and corporate shutdown

As part of a plea agreement, Gotbit was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to forfeit approximately $23 million in seized cryptocurrency.

The firm, which was based outside the United States but worked with numerous U.S.-accessible crypto platforms, is now required to cease all operations.

Gotbit’s services included generating artificial trading volume to help client tokens gain visibility on platforms such as CoinMarketCap and achieve listings on top-tier exchanges.

In a 2019 interview, Andriunin openly admitted to developing wash trading software that enabled such tactics while avoiding blockchain detection.

Cracking down on market abuse

Gotbit is the third market-making firm to be prosecuted for wash trading since 2024. Earlier cases involved MyTrade and CLS Global, both ensnared in an undercover federal operation aimed at exposing market abuse in the digital asset sector.

Gotbit’s directors, Fedor Kedrov and Qawi Jalili, remain under indictment, with criminal proceedings ongoing. Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched a parallel civil enforcement action accusing Gotbit of securities law violations.

The criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham and David M. Holcomb, with asset forfeiture handled by AUSA Carol Head of the Asset Recovery Unit. The FBI’s Boston Division led the investigation.

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Is SoFi Stock a Millionaire Maker? https://earlybirdsinvest.com/is-sofi-stock-a-millionaire-maker/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/is-sofi-stock-a-millionaire-maker/#respond Wed, 11 Jun 2025 04:46:04 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/is-sofi-stock-a-millionaire-maker/

If you’re looking to build long-term wealth, investing in the stock market is an excellent way to reach financial freedom. The key is to focus on quality companies and hold on to their stocks for the long haul. Patience is your best friend, as your investments will have the chance to compound over time.

One company that’s been making waves in the fintech world is SoFi Technologies (SOFI 2.06%). The company is rapidly attracting customers and has successfully expanded beyond student loans to become a comprehensive financial services provider.

Over the past year, SoFi has shown impressive growth, and the company has enjoyed robust demand for its loans. With multiple avenues for expansion, you may wonder: Could SoFi be a millionaire-maker stock in your investment portfolio?

SoFi’s platform has evolved in recent years

SoFi, a dynamic player in the fintech space, began its journey helping people refinance their student loans. However, during the pandemic, it had to adjust to the student loan forbearance and shifted its focus more toward personal loans. In recent years, SoFi has expanded its offerings to provide a diverse range of products, including banking and savings accounts, investment accounts, and other financial planning tools.

One pivotal moment in SoFi’s growth story came in 2022 when it acquired Golden Pacific Bancorp. The move provided it with a much-needed banking charter. With this, SoFi could accept deposits, retain loans, and roll out a suite of banking products that extend beyond its initial loan offerings. As a result, SoFi’s deposit base has grown rapidly over the past several years.

SOFI Total Deposits (Quarterly) Chart

SOFI Total Deposits (Quarterly) data by YCharts

Another advantage of owning a banking charter is the opportunity for SoFi to offer financial products to nonbanking companies. The fintech has invested in technology platforms like Galileo and Technisys, positioning itself to provide essential back-end banking services that can support a wide array of financial products simultaneously. SoFi’s technology segment is compelling due to its steady, fee-based revenue, helping SoFi differentiate itself in the competitive fintech landscape.

Can SoFi become a millionaire-maker stock?

For a stock to be a millionaire maker, several key things must align for investors. The company needs to experience consistent, long-term growth. After all, building long-term wealth isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon, and patience is essential as you navigate the inevitable highs and lows of investing in growth stocks.

An investor looks at a stock chart and other financial charts while sitting at a desk.

Image source: Getty Images.

Not only that, but the size of your initial investment and any subsequent contributions can significantly impact your journey. If you invest $10,000 in SoFi today and don’t add any more to it, you will need that investment to grow at a 20% annual compound rate for the next 25 years.

SoFi is growing at a very impressive pace. Last year, it reported $2.67 billion in total revenue, representing 26% growth from the previous year. A rapidly expanding deposit base helped it, which grew 39% to $25.9 billion. Its net interest income growth was stellar, and analysts covering the company believe it could generate an additional 23% growth in revenue this year.

On top of that, SoFi achieved generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) profitability for the first time in a full fiscal year last year. Earnings per share of $0.39 crushed estimates. It posted another profitable quarter in the first quarter, with EPS of $0.06 on revenue of $771 million, representing a 33% increase from the same period in the prior year.

SOFI Revenue (TTM) Chart

SOFI Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts

Is SoFi right for you?

SoFi has what it takes to be a solid stock for long-term investors, but a few things need to go its way. One, continue to grow and expand its customer base and get existing customers to use its offerings more. An important aspect is that SoFi must not only maintain but also cross-sell to customers, engaging them with all of its various offerings.

Second, its credit must hold up. A promising sign is that alternative investors have shown a strong interest in scooping up loans. SoFi has expanded its loan platform business, where it refers pre-qualified borrowers to loan origination partners. The loan platform enables SoFi to meet borrower demand while shifting toward less capital-intensive, fee-based revenue sources, as its investor partners retain ownership of those loans.

Last year, the fintech agreed to a $2 billion agreement with Fortress Investment Group. It has further built upon this agreement and now has a commitment of up to $5 billion from the investment company. The company also agreed with Blue Owl Capital for up to $5 billion in loan commitments, showing incredibly strong demand for personal loans.

Third, its technology platform needs to continue to grow as well. This business offers SoFi the potential for higher margins and is one aspect that can differentiate it from competitors.

SoFi has the potential for strong returns, but it should be viewed as part of a larger investment strategy. As a long-term investor, focus on building wealth by investing in quality companies across various industries with different strengths, with SoFi being one part of your diversified approach to building wealth.

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Is NuScale Power Stock a Millionaire Maker? https://earlybirdsinvest.com/is-nuscale-power-stock-a-millionaire-maker/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/is-nuscale-power-stock-a-millionaire-maker/#respond Wed, 09 Apr 2025 13:48:51 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/is-nuscale-power-stock-a-millionaire-maker/

As artificial intelligence use cases grow, the demand for energy from data centers is set to skyrocket. This ever-increasing need for power opens doors for innovative energy solutions, and nuclear energy is rapidly coming back in favor, backed by nations eager to embrace it.

Enter NuScale Power (SMR 2.80%), an innovator in advanced small modular reactors that could revolutionize how nuclear energy is distributed. These compact reactors promise efficient deployment and could help reduce the cost of deploying nuclear power. Could investing in NuScale be your ticket to millionaire status? Let’s explore the company and its opportunity to find out.

NuScale’s nuclear innovation

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are cutting-edge technology that could change nuclear power generation as we know it. Founded in 2007, NuScale designs compact SMRs that could provide a scalable, efficient, and safer alternative to traditional nuclear plants.

Its NuScale Power Module is the first SMR to receive a standard design approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), giving NuScale a critical first-mover advantage over peers. The NRC has approved its 50 megawatt-electric (MWe) design, and NuScale is looking to upsize that reactor to 77 MWe and expects this larger version to receive approval sometime this year. Up to 12 modules can be assembled per plant, providing up to 924 MWe in energy.

NuScale has significant backing from Fluor, a construction company that provides services across industries, including energy. Since 2011, Fluor has invested over $600 million in NuScale to support its development and has been instrumental in helping NuScale bring its VOYGR power plant to the market.

What’s next for NuScale Power

NuScale is looking to build its plants efficiently and is targeting existing coal plants, which could save up to 15% to 35% on construction costs. With Fluor’s help, NuScale is developing a small modular reactor power station at a former coal plant in Doicești, Romania. This project is known as the VOYGR-6 SMR power plant and will consist of six NuScale Power Modules and generate 462 megawatts of electricity.

The project is backed by public and private funding, including contributions from the United States, Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates. The U.S. Export-Import Bank has committed up to $99 million for initial work, with additional funding of up to $4 billion being considered for the project’s deployment.

Digital circuitry in the shape of an atom.

Image source: Getty Images.

Investors should consider the following

NuScale’s technology is exciting, but investors shouldn’t ignore the risks of buying the stock. For one, the company continues to rack up losses as it works to get its technology approved and build its facilities. Over the last 12 months, NuScale has lost $137 million against $37 million in revenue. In the fourth quarter, the company bolstered its balance sheet with $446.7 million in cash — providing it with a runway for the next few years.

Second, it will take several years before NuScale achieves widespread commercial operations. The target date for opening its Romanian plant is 2029, and four years is a long time when things could go wrong. Any cancellations (such as with its UAMPS project a couple of years ago), delays, or a lack of customer interest would be detrimental for the stock.

Is NuScale Power a millionaire-maker stock?

NuScale Power has long-term potential and could be a key player in helping countries deploy nuclear power on a large scale. Over the past few years, 31 countries have signed a Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy by 2050. If NuScale’s products work well and prove cheaper and more efficient, it could grow tremendously.

NuScale certainly has millionaire-maker potential once it gains footing, but it remains highly speculative at this point, leaving it best suited for aggressive investors. Even so, those wishing to own the stock should maintain a small position as part of a more extensive, diverse portfolio and build up that position over time as NuScale reaches key milestones and works toward commercial operations at scale.

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Is This Simple Index Fund a Millionaire Maker? https://earlybirdsinvest.com/is-this-simple-index-fund-a-millionaire-maker/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/is-this-simple-index-fund-a-millionaire-maker/#respond Fri, 28 Feb 2025 12:30:46 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/is-this-simple-index-fund-a-millionaire-maker/

The SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF (SPYD -0.42%) is one of many dividend-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) income investors can buy today. What sets it apart from the rest is the simplicity of its stock selection approach. While it is often a good idea to keep things simple when investing, if you buy this ETF, you also need to ensure that you understand the limitations of its simple approach.

What does the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF do?

There are really just two factors that are important to understand when you are looking at the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF. The first is that it selects stocks from the S&P 500 index (^GSPC -1.59%). This is important because the S&P 500 is a broad market performance gauge. It contains roughly 500 stocks that represent around 80% of the total U.S. market capitalization. The companies in the index tend to be large and well followed on Wall Street.

A person putting a 100 dollar bill into a piggy bank.

Image source: Getty Images.

The SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF simply takes all of the companies in the S&P 500 index and lines them up by dividend yield, from highest to lowest. The 80 highest-yielding stocks get put into the ETF. That is, pretty much, as simple as you can get.

There is one important difference between the S&P 500 index and the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF. The S&P 500 is market cap weighted, ensuring that the largest companies have the greatest impact on performance. However, the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF uses an equal weighting methodology, so each stock has the same opportunity to impact performance. This is an important issue, but to understand why requires a bit more of a discussion.

SPYD Dividend Yield Chart
SPYD Dividend Yield data by YCharts.

What does the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF’s portfolio look like?

Just buying stocks because they have high yields has a material impact on the portfolio that is being created. For example, there are some sectors that are historically known for offering investors high yields, including real estate investment trusts (REITs), utilities, and financials. There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of these sectors, but if you just focus on yield, you will likely end up with heavy weighting in them. And that’s exactly what you get when you buy the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF, with REITs at around 23% of assets, utilities nearly 17%, and financials about 15%. Add those three up and you get around 55% of the portfolio in just three sectors. That’s a lot of concentration when you consider there are only 80 stocks in the ETF.

The next issue you’ll find when only selecting based on yield is that troubled companies often end up with high yields. For example, pharmacy company CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) is currently the largest holding in the ETF. The stock has fallen around 40% since hitting a high in early 2022 and is currently out of favor on Wall Street as its business model faces increasing pressure. There’s a lot more to the story, of course, but the important fact is that CVS isn’t hitting on all cylinders today and, yet, it is the largest position in the ETF. Buying this ETF means you will end up owning stocks you might otherwise not think to buy.

CVS Chart
CVS data by YCharts.

That said, equal weighting helps out on this front. Even though you may own stocks you wouldn’t otherwise buy, they aren’t likely to “blow up” your portfolio if they underperform. And in a year that stock could end up out of the portfolio (when the ETF rebalances its holdings) if things go really poorly for the business (resulting in a dividend cut) or really well (the stock rallies to the point where the yield is no longer near the top of the yield pile). In other words, the equal weighting approach is an important way to minimize overall risk.

What do you get with SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF?

The S&P 500 index is offering a yield of just about 1.2%. The SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF’s dividend yield is 4.2%. That’s an attractive yield, but this ETF alone probably won’t make you a millionaire. Or at least it won’t achieve that very quickly. But it can be an integral part of a broader portfolio, in which you augment the ETF with more growth-oriented ETFs or individual stocks.

That could actually make the ETF a very attractive buy, effectively allowing you to ignore select sectors and contrarian investments so you can focus your precious time and energy on investments that have more growth potential. But if you are going to make use of this ETF, you really need to make sure you know what it does and why.

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Technical Indicator Suggests DeFi Altcoin Maker (MKR) Primed for a Pullback, According to Crypto Trader https://earlybirdsinvest.com/technical-indicator-suggests-defi-altcoin-maker-mkr-primed-for-a-pullback-according-to-crypto-trader/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/technical-indicator-suggests-defi-altcoin-maker-mkr-primed-for-a-pullback-according-to-crypto-trader/#respond Sun, 23 Feb 2025 04:21:42 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/technical-indicator-suggests-defi-altcoin-maker-mkr-primed-for-a-pullback-according-to-crypto-trader/

A technical analysis indicator suggests the decentralized finance (DeFi) altcoin Maker (MKR) could be poised for a correction, according to a popular crypto analyst.

Trader Ali Martinez tells his 128,100 followers on the social media platform X that MKR’s Tom DeMark (TD) sequential indicator flashed a bearish signal on its 12-hour chart.

Traders use the TD Sequential Indicator to predict potential trend reversals for tokens based on the closing prices of their 13 previous bars or candles.

“Maker MKR could be gearing up for a pullback, as the TD Sequential indicator flashes a sell signal on the 12-hour chart!”

Image
Source: Ali Martinez/X

MKR is trading at $1,441 at time of writing. The 85th-ranked crypto asset by market cap is down nearly 1.5% in the past 24 hours but is up nearly 45% in the past seven days.

Martinez also shares his outlook on the newly rebranded layer-1 blockchain Sonic (S), which was previously known as Fantom.

“I wonder if Sonic has just completed a mini market cycle and is now entering the ‘anxiety’ phase.”

Image
Source: Ali Martinez/X

S is trading at $0.854 at time of writing. The 50th-ranked crypto asset by market cap has been trading sideways in the past day but is up nearly 56% in the past week.

Martinez also notes that crypto whales have been accumulating Ethereum (ETH).

“Whales have accumulated another 140,000 Ethereum ETH in the [24 hours]!”

Image
Source: Ali Martinez/X

At time of writing, ETH is worth $2,679.

The trader also says deep-pocketed investors are gobbling up the payments altcoin XRP.

“Whales bought over 20 million XRP in the [24 hours]!”

Image
Source: Ali Martinez/X

XRP is trading at $2.53 at time of writing and is down more than 5% in the past 24 hours.

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

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Is This Vanguard ETF a Millionaire Maker? https://earlybirdsinvest.com/is-this-vanguard-etf-a-millionaire-maker/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/is-this-vanguard-etf-a-millionaire-maker/#respond Fri, 21 Feb 2025 04:52:17 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/is-this-vanguard-etf-a-millionaire-maker/

Everyone would love to make a million dollars through investing — and there are various ways to set yourself off on the right path. One way is to invest in a broad range of quality stocks and hold on to them for the long term. Though this is something all of us can do, it requires some time and effort.

Now, what if I told you that with just one investing move, you could invest in 500 of today’s top stocks? This is one time when something that sounds too good to be true actually is true: By buying shares of an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.43%), you gain exposure to the biggest companies driving today’s economy.

A popular low-cost one to try is the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO -0.42%). But will this Vanguard ETF make you a millionaire? Let’s find out.

A hand holds out hundred-dollar bills.

Image source: Getty Images.

Immediate exposure to many stocks

First, let’s talk a little bit about ETFs. These assets allow you to invest in many stocks at once according to a particular theme — this could be by industry, such as biotech, or investment style, like value or growth. ETFs also are a great way to gain exposure to the performance of a major benchmark, such as the S&P 500. In this case, the fund mimics the composition of that index in order to track its performance, meaning that when the S&P 500 advanced 23% last year, so did the ETFs tracking it.

VOO Chart

VOO data by YCharts

So, by investing in an ETF, you gain immediate diversification across a theme, or in the case of an S&P 500 ETF, diversification beyond one industry or theme.

And the great thing about ETFs is they trade daily on the market just like stocks, meaning you can buy or sell them just as you would a stock. The one main difference to be aware of is ETFs come with management fees, as expressed by an expense ratio — you’ll want to choose an ETF with an expense ratio of less than 1% in order to preserve your gains over time. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF fits the bill, with an expense ratio of only 0.03%.

Investing in 11 different industries

Now, let’s talk specifically about the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. Today, this fund, like the index it tracks, is heavily exposed to technology — an industry that’s soared in recent times thanks to investor interest in areas like artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing.

Information technology is the most heavily weighted sector in the index and fund at more than 32%. But, as mentioned, investing in such an ETF allows you to diversify, and here, we have exposure to a total of 11 industries.

Another positive point is the index, and therefore the Vanguard fund too, are flexible. The index rebalances periodically to reflect the most relevant companies and sectors of the times, and the Vanguard fund must copy these additions and deletions.

All of this ensures that you as an investor always are exposed to the top companies of the moment. For example, last year, the S&P 500 invited Palantir Technologies, an AI-driven software company that’s seen earnings soar, to join — and the Vanguard ETF added the shares.

Could this investment be worth millions?

So, it’s clear that an investment in the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is a smart move — but could it make you a millionaire? Let’s do some quick math. The S&P 500 has generated an annual average return of 10% over time. If we imagine this continues and we invest $1,000 in the Vanguard ETF today, then add $300 a month to it for 35 years, the total value of our investment could top $1 million.

This shows it is possible to reach $1 million by investing in the Vanguard S&P 500 over time — but should you do it? I wouldn’t put all of my eggs in one basket and invest only in one stock or one ETF — even an ETF that tracks a solid benchmark. You’re much more likely to score a victory by buying a variety of quality stocks and ETFs and holding on over time than sticking to just one.

But, as part of a diversified portfolio, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF makes a fantastic investment — and one that clearly could help you roar ahead on the road to wealth.

Adria Cimino has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Palantir Technologies and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Top Crypto Market Maker Wintermute Opens New York Office Amid Trump Optimism: Report https://earlybirdsinvest.com/top-crypto-market-maker-wintermute-opens-new-york-office-amid-trump-optimism-report/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/top-crypto-market-maker-wintermute-opens-new-york-office-amid-trump-optimism-report/#respond Thu, 20 Feb 2025 06:32:42 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/top-crypto-market-maker-wintermute-opens-new-york-office-amid-trump-optimism-report/

A crypto market maker is reportedly opening up a new office in New York due to the pro-crypto nature of President Donald Trump.

According to a new report from Bloomberg, crypto liquidity provider Wintermute which already has offices in London and Singapore is looking to venture into the US for the first time.

Evgeny Gaevoy, the firm’s chief executive, told Bloomberg in an interview that Wintermute has “new added focus in the US” regarding growth and plans to offer over-the-counter products to US customers as part of its expansion. He also says the firm is adding 5-10 positions for the additional US office.

According to Gaevoy, Wintermute is optimistic about the possibility of upcoming regulatory changes for the digital assets industry in the US. After his inauguration, Trump signed the executive order “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology” to support the growth of the US blockchain industry.

Under the previous Administration, regulatory bodies such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) hit many prominent crypto firms including Coinbase, Kraken, Binance, Ripple Labs, and Consensys with high-profile enforcement actions.

Wintermute was founded in 2017 by Gaevoy and in 2021, it raised $20 million in a Lightspeed Ventures-led Series B round with the help of venture capitalist firms Pantera Capital and Hack VC, according to the report.

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

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