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Meta is quietly re-entering the crypto landscape, years after shelving its high-profile Libra project amid intense political pushback. The company is now exploring the use of stablecoins—cryptocurrencies pegged to traditional currencies—for global payouts, especially to creators, and has hired fintech veteran Ginger Baker to guide the effort. 

Discussions with crypto infrastructure firms remain in the early stages, but the focus is on leveraging stablecoins to reduce cross-border payment costs and eliminate wire transfer fees. 

Meta’s renewed interest follows a wave of stablecoin momentum across the financial industry, including moves by Stripe, Visa, and Fidelity, and a regulatory environment that may soon offer clearer rules. Unlike its earlier crypto attempt, Meta appears more cautious and flexible this time, showing openness to different stablecoin providers without tying itself to a single issuer. 

While Libra ended in failure, Meta’s second try reflects a broader industry shift—and the company’s ongoing drive to stay competitive in digital payments and fintech innovation.

Structured notes can offer attractive returns, but they come with notable risks that investors should carefully consider. One of the primary concerns is liquidity risk, as these products often lack a secondary market, making it difficult to sell before maturity without potentially accepting a steep discount. 

Market risk is also a factor, since structured notes are tied to the performance of underlying assets that may be volatile, especially when linked to speculative markets. Even if a note includes downside protection, extreme fluctuations can still lead to losses. 

Default risk is another major issue, as the investor’s return ultimately depends on the solvency of the issuing institution. In the event of a bankruptcy—such as Lehman Brothers’ collapse—investors may lose their entire principal regardless of market performance.

Finsum: However, when structured thoughtfully, these notes can offer enhanced yields, downside buffers, or tailored exposure to specific markets not easily accessed through traditional investments.

The Trump administration has proposed major federal budget cuts for 2026, aiming to slash over $160 billion, including deep reductions to climate and clean energy programs. The plan targets more than $15 billion in previously approved funding for carbon capture and renewable energy, along with $6 billion earmarked for electric vehicle charging stations. 

According to the White House, these programs failed to deliver results and should instead rely on private sector leadership guided by market demand. The proposal would shift focus toward boosting domestic production of fossil fuels, nuclear energy, and critical minerals. 

Additional cuts would hit the EPA, USDA, and NOAA, reducing support for environmental research, farm conservation, and food aid abroad. Critics argue the plan undermines public health and rural development, while its passage in Congress remains uncertain.

Finsum: Obviously ESG is going to take an initial hit with the administration, but it has always remained a very long term investment, and could be a good time to buy low. 

Over a 27-year period ending in Q3 2024, Cliffwater found that U.S. buyouts (private equity) consistently traded at a 29% EBITDA multiple discount relative to public equities, contributing significantly to private equity’s historical outperformance. This discount, combined with higher earnings yields and potential valuation convergence, helped private equity deliver a 6% gross return premium, which nets to about 2.2% after fees compared to public markets. 

Several structural tailwinds reinforce private equity’s appeal, including a shrinking pool of public companies, persistently low credit spreads, and extreme valuation gaps between large-growth and small-value stocks. 

These valuation disparities, combined with the relative strength of the U.S. dollar, give large-cap firms and private equity buyers strategic advantages in acquiring smaller domestic and foreign targets. Meanwhile, the sluggish IPO and M&A markets in 2025 have led to a spike in discounted private equity secondary sales, offering further entry points for opportunistic investors. 

Finsum: Despite recent macro headwinds, these intersecting forces create a compelling backdrop for private equity to continue outperforming.

Investors have continued to pull billions from ESG (environmental, social, and governance) funds in early 2025, amid growing political backlash and shifting federal policies under President Trump’s administration. 

In the first quarter alone, ESG funds saw $6.1 billion in outflows, marking the tenth straight quarter of declines, according to Morningstar. Much of this retreat has been attributed to the administration’s aggressive rollback of climate and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives, including pulling out of the Paris Agreement and cutting subsidies for green energy. 

Despite political resistance, ESG investing remains popular among younger investors and retains institutional support, particularly in pro-ESG states like California. Analysts argue ESG strategies still offer long-term value, positioning investors in companies better equipped to handle emerging environmental and social risks. 

Finsum: Advocates maintain it's a smart approach to building resilience and returns in an evolving global economy, and necessary to combat emerging environmental issues.