The Degenerate Economy Global Roadtrip...Starting In Muskoka

Happy Sunday and labor day long weekend.

Before I get started…

STOCKTOBERFEST is almost sold out with 300 plus traders, investors, degenerate economy leaders together for three days in New York to network and discuss the degenerate economy, agentic trading, the markets, brokerage 2.0 and predictions. Come join us as we have one day tickets for the 7th (one day of fireside chats and discussions).

I am on the road for the next three months around the globe catching up on all things degenerate economy. Ellen joins along for much of it but also sprinkles in her sister hiking trips around the globe they have been doing the last 10 years.

Onward..

The degenerate economy had another blistering week. Hyperliquid is trading at all-time highs at $90 as I write. You can track all my commentary on Hyperliquid on my $HYPE ( ▲ 4.87% ) Stocktwits stream. I started buying Hyperliquid back in the 30’s and shared it as I always do when I buy and sell. Stocktwits search now easily allows you to look back at any and all of my thoughts (right and wrong) on all tickers over the last 17 years. Last week I took 4 pitches from great founders building on Hyperliquid. As I should have done with Bitcoin and Apple each time I either heard a Bitcoin pitch or bought an Apple product, and just bought Bitcoin and Apple, I have done with Hyperliquid this year. So far so good.

Elsewhere in the degenerate economy…

Just this week Lebron James became a spokesman for Polymarket and Polymarket announced perps with 20x leverage so you can lose the family ‘nest egg’ if you take a pee at the wrong time during a meaningless mid season NFL football game (bad degeneracy). The states will be fighting back (they will get their tax billions) with New York leading the charge suing Kalshi. The degenerate economy will have many tollbooths.

Next up…

I was in New York all last week for a Stocktwits team offsite as we plan the rest of 2026 and our roadmap for 2027.

We are doing quarterly team offsites in New York right now this year because the markets are evolving and also growing (products and global TAM) so quickly. Our ‘Stocktwits Everywhere’, Cashtag API and Investor Relations growth products and business has been growing so fast we have had to adjust our roadmap multiple times in 2026. I expect 2027 will be just as frenzied as we roll out our own predictions markets (focused on community and peer to peer bragging rights).

Let me give you another example of this from our Social Leverage portfolio.

Our portfolio company Alpaca, a global brokerage and API developer now has a headquarter and growing team in New York. The current customers/product offerings are listed just below. Late last year I was talking to Yoshi and Hitoshi about working prediction markets into their global roadmap. They told me the demand and growth for existing products meant predictions products were slated for 2027. Flash forward eight months and Alpaca has already gotten CFTC and NFA approval for predictions and last week partnered with Kalshi to deliver predictions to their hundreds of global customers.

I spent a few hours with Hitoshi last week (he is the Alpaca co-fouder and CTO, now based in Dubai) who leads 150 engineers around the world, and we discussed all the growth, the degeneracy and compared notes re the rapid changes in the US capital markets. Hitoshi and I are the only members of the NINE finger fintech club (although my right index finger has been reattached and healing pretty well).

I am very fortunate to be able to meet regularly with Yoshi and Hitoshi and their global business team led by Tarun and Alex, and sit as a board observer as the global degenerate economy has exploded.

Last year the Alpaca partner summit was in Kyoto and this year Ellen and I will be heading to Lisbon for the summit. If you love this part of fintech you should try and get yourself an invite.

This weekend, as I have done the last 5 years when I start my three months of global travel, I am at my best pals cottage in Muskoka for some off the grid relaxation. Rob and Jen host me every year at their place. Their dock is ground central for many of our best college and high school friends drop by.

I tried out their latest lake ‘toy’ which is an incredible first version of a ‘floating Peloton’ called the Schiller…

John and Deena two childhood time best friends gave me a tour of their new and spectacular Lake Rosseau cottage just a few cottages down from Rob and Jen. I am lucky to be able to freeload at will…

I was a fortunate kid as my parents owned a fantastic cottage (a six acre island) on Lake Muskoka. I introduced all my friends to Muskoka life as a teen in the 1980’s and am reaping the benefits now as a guest. Life on the lake has changed quite a bit since the 1980’s, but hosting is still a lot of work.

Have a great rest of the weekend.

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