All eyes are focused on the upcoming U.S. presidential election, with several indicators suggesting a tight race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump. However, a shocking poll result in Iowa may have significant implications for the race and thus for the broader geopolitical paradigm. According to pollster Ann Selzer of the Des Moines Register, Harris leads Trump 47% to 44% among likely voters. As Benzinga staff writer Bibhu Pattnaik mentioned, the significance is that "Trump held a four-point lead in the same poll in September – and led President Joe Biden by 18 points before Biden quit the race." To be fair, another Iowa poll conducted by Emerson College Polling/RealClearDefense showed that Trump is leading Harris by 10 percentage points. Therefore, the Trump campaign dismissed the Des Moines Register/Mediacom survey as an "outlier poll." Nevertheless, Selzer commands a strong reputation, having made controversial calls that later turned out to be correct. These calls included correctly predicting Trump's win in Iowa in 2016 and 2020. If the pollster turns out to be correct once more, investors may want to turn their attention to the geopolitical realm The DFEN ETF: Investors willing to speculate on an electoral victory for the Democrats may consider the Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares DFEN. A highly leveraged exchange-traded fund, DFEN seeks the daily investment results of 300% of the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index

In a historic development, Bitcoin BTC/USD has surpassed the $80,000 milestone, propelled by President-elect Donald Trump‘s supportive stance on cryptocurrencies and the potential for a crypto-friendly Congress. What Happened: According to CoinMarketCap, Bitcoin’s value surged as much as 4.7% to an unprecedented $80,092 before falling back to around $79,700 early Sunday Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have seen a sharp rise, marking a significant day for liquidations. Data from Coinglass.com reveals that more than $430 million in derivatives positions were cleared in just 24 hours Digital currencies, such as Cardano ADA/USD and Dogecoin DOGE/USD, also experienced a surge His strategies include establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve and appointing regulators who are in favor of digital assets

U.S. stocks could get off to a positive start on Monday after the averages registered their best week this year following the reelection of Donald Trump. After witnessing heightened volatility in the run-up to the high-voltage 2024 presidential elections, and the Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) rate decision, Fed chair Jerome Powell remained cautious in his approach, but delivered the 25 basis point cut that was widely expected by experts and investors In premarket trading on Monday, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY was up 0.28% to $599.84 and the Invesco QQQ ETF QQQ fell 0.28% to $515.57, according to Benzinga Pro dat Cues From Last Week The S&P 500 surged 4.66% last week, while the Dow gained 4.61% during that period, with both indices recording their best week since Nov. 2023. The Nasdaq, meanwhile, jumped 5.74% during the week

Former President Donald J. Trump recently addressed his supporters, declaring victory in the contentious 2024 election. While several major networks had yet to call the race in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Trump won key battleground states, including pivotal Pennsylvania. With its 19 electoral votes in the bag, it appears that his second term is all but a foregone conclusion. Assuming no shocking or extraordinary developments, Trump's strong support of the fossil-fuel industry could help boost enterprises like Exxon Mobil Corp XOM. Indeed, entrepreneur Mark Cuban blasted the former reality television star for being loyal to "his oil company cronies" at the expense of the American public via high inflation. Still, another go at the White House should benefit the "black gold" industry To be fair, higher production of hydrocarbon assets could pressure prices. Notably, one of the recent upward catalysts of oil prices was OPEC+'s decision to postpone an anticipated production increase. However, it's also fair to point out that under a Kamala Harris administration, the domestic oil industry may have lagged in favor of green energy alternatives In September, the valuation of solar companies swung higher following the presidential debate between Trump and Harris. Following a poor performance by the former president – in which he made controversial remarks that were heavily criticized and ridiculed – momentum swung toward the Democrat. Now, the pendulum seems to have swung firmly into the Republican candidate's court On the other hand, investors who are skeptical about the rise in fossil fuels may consider the Direxion Daily S&P Oil & Gas Exp. & Prod. Bear 2X Shares DRIP fund. DRIP offers an identical leverage to that of GUSH. Of course, the difference is that the bear fund is an inverse ETF: as the underlying index falls in value, DRIP rises and vice versa

The 2024 election victory of former President Donald Trump, coupled with Republicans retaking the Senate and possibly retaining the House of Representatives, has put the spotlight on what this means for tax policy. Tax experts agree a likely result is the extension of key components of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) Ben Henry-Moreland, a senior financial planning expert at Kitces.com, told Think Advisor that he anticipates a “Republican trifecta” in Washington, making the extension of the TCJA provisions highly probable. This includes the historically high estate tax exemption, higher standard deduction, lower income tax brackets, and the restructured alternative minimum tax (AMT) framework While there is a possibility that Republicans could seek to repeal the estate tax entirely, Henry-Moreland notes that the current high exemption levels mean the tax only applies to the wealthiest Americans, making it a lower priority compared to other policy changes One caveat is that state-level estate and inheritance taxes will still need to be considered, as many states maintain lower exemptions than the federal government. Trust planning to move assets out of estates and avoid state-level taxes is likely to continue, according to Think Advisor

In the wake of President-elect Donald Trump‘s victory this week, the Trump family is preparing to step back into the limelight. However, not all family members will be returning to Washington. Instead, some unexpected individuals are anticipated to join the advisory team. What Happened: Donald Trump Jr. is expected to play a crucial role in his father’s second term. He says he will play a bit role in selecting his father’s Cabinet, thereby enhancing his clout within the returning First Family As per a report by The Daily Beast, despite being Trump’s senior fundraiser, the position of Don Jr.’s fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle, seems to be unstable position. Her relationship with Don Jr. and his children appears to be tense, which could affect her future role Meanwhile, Don Jr.’s daughter, Kai Trump, is emerging as an important figure in the next generation of Trumps. Her ability to portray her grandfather in a relatable way could be a strategic advantage in preserving the Trump legacy Also Read: Trump’s Win Sends Wall Street To Record Highs; Small Caps, Tesla Outperform, Fed Cuts Interest Rates: This Week In The Marke

Click here to visit Getaway Space's crowdfunding page and support the company’s mission to redefine EV charging!  While the future of transportation may well be electric, it's important to keep in mind that without adequate public infrastructure, the underlying innovation won't get very far. That's where the solution provided by Getaway Space – a specialist in the electric-vehicle charging ecosystem – comes into play. Getaway offers a fresh rethink regarding next-generation mobility with a focus on addressing the key pain points dogging broader EV integration. Even better, early bird proponents have a chance to invest in the company through StartEngine StartEngine enables everyday people to acquire shares in startups and early-stage enterprises. In effect, the platform facilitates a path for non-accredited investors to participate in equity crowdfunding campaigns. Fundamentally, the appeal is that retail investors can secure their stake in a promising company well before an initial public offering (IPO). Given the accelerating growth of EVs, Getaway is positioned in an intriguing industry for many According to data provided by the International Energy Agency (IEA), nearly one in five vehicles sold last year was electric. Nominally, EV unit sales almost reached the 14 million mark, with 95% of these transactions materializing in China, Europe and the U.S. Subsequently, the total number of registered electric-powered vehicles stood at 40 million worldwide However, the transition to EVs has also led to buyer's remorse for some, with drivers suddenly encountering significant friction that they didn't envision earlier. But where the EV industry sees headwinds, Getaway sees opportunity

The week has been a whirlwind of cryptocurrency news, with El Salvador’s Bitcoin gamble paying off and Standard Chartered predicting a massive surge in the digital assets market. Meanwhile, Detroit is set to become the first major U.S. city to accept cryptocurrency for taxes and other city fees. Let’s dive into these stories and more. El Salvador’s Bitcoin Bet Pays Off – El Salvador, the pioneer nation in adopting Bitcoin BTC/USD as a legal tender, has seen an 81% return on its investment. According to Spotonchain data, the country’s strategic Bitcoin investments, spearheaded by President Nayib Bukele, have yielded gains of $24.54 million. Since November 18, 2022, El Salvador has been purchasing one bitcoin daily at an average price below $42,000. Read the full article here Standard Chartered Forecasts Crypto Boom – Standard Chartered predicts a fourfold increase in the digital assets market cap, reaching $10 trillion by the U.S. mid-term elections in late 2026. Geoffrey Kendrick, Head of Research at Standard Chartered, bases this growth forecast on anticipated regulatory shifts following a projected Republican sweep in the recent election cycle. Kendrick expressed confidence that favorable regulatory policies will drive adoption across the asset class. Read the full article here See Also: El Salvador’s Bitcoin Bet Is Paying Off—Here’s How Much The Country Is UpSpeculation Around Charles Hoskinson as Trump Crypto Policy Advisor – There’s speculation that Charles Hoskinson, co-founder of Ethereum ETH/USD and Cardano ADA/USD, might serve as a cryptocurrency policy advisor in the Trump administration. This speculation follows recent posts and statements from various figures within the crypto community, hinting at a possible alignment of interests between Hoskinson and the Trump campaign. Read the full article here

The week was abuzz with major developments in the tech industry. From Amazon.com Inc. AMZN contemplating another massive investment in AI startup Anthropic, to Palantir Technologies Inc. PLTR outlining its unique AI strategy, the tech world was far from quiet. Amazon Eyes Second Multi-Billion-Dollar Investment in Anthropi Following a $4 billion investment last year, Amazon is reportedly considering another significant investment in AI startup Anthropic. The startup, co-founded by former OpenAI executives Dario and Daniela Amodei, utilizes Amazon’s cloud services for training. The e-commerce giant has requested Anthropic to use a substantial number of servers powered by chips developed by the cloud computing giant Read the full article here Palantir Technologies unveiled its Q3 financial results, highlighting its distinctive strategy of maximizing AI models. Ryan Taylor, Palantir's chief revenue and legal officer, explained that while most investments focus on enhancing AI models, Palantir’s strategy is to maximize these models within the enterprise context

The growth and adoption of cryptocurrencies requires trusted partners capable of safely securing and providing liquidity for these digital assets. Recently, iTrustCapital announced that Coinbase Custody will provide digital asset custodial and liquidity services for its large retail client base within the tax-advantaged crypto IRA sector. Against the backdrop of an uncertain macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape, the decentralized nature of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has risen in appeal. As estimated by KPMG, as of May 2023, decentralized finance represents $47.479 billion of liquidity stored across various blockchains “In the present, with Donald Trump winning the Presidential Election, the anticipation of further China stimulus and the U.S. Federal Reserve further reducing rates, Bitcoin is making new highs. This is an indication that investors are allocating more to the asset class during this globally volatile period.” With more investors engaging in multi-asset investing, with cryptocurrencies being a part of their asset allocation, safely securing these assets is paramount. The growth is also evident on the institutional front, as institutional investors are set to increase digital asset allocations in their portfolio to 7% by 2027, as detailed in a recent report commissioned by crypto exchange OKX "Coinbase’s reputation for security and user experience perfectly aligns with iTrustCapital’s mission to provide the highest levels of safety, security, convenience, and optionality for our clients," said Kevin Maloney, CEO of iTrustCapital

In the latest development in the FTX bankruptcy case, the collapsed entity has launched a lawsuit against cryptocurrency exchange Binance BNB/USD, aiming to reclaim $1.8 billion. What Happened: The plaintiffs in the case are alleging that Binance, its ex-CEO Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, and other top executives received a minimum of $1.76 billion in cryptocurrencies through a fraudulent transfer from FTX, a Cointelegraph report revealed on Monday The controversial transaction is associated with Binance's repurchase agreement with Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the FTX co-founder who is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence. The plaintiffs claim that Bankman-Fried unlawfully sold stakes of approximately 20% in FTX's international and 18.4% in its U.S.-based entity, West Realm Shires Services, doing business as FTX US SBF paid for the deal using a mix of cryptocurrencies, including the FTX token FTT/USD, BNB, and stablecoin Binance USD BUSD/US See Also: Cardano Soars To 7-Month High As Founder Charles Hoskinson Teases Potential Crypto Policy Role In Trump Administration