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🚀 What does it really take to build a startup in Silicon Valley?
Oliviero Pinotti went from studying hospitality at EHL to teaching himself how to code, becoming an early engineer at a Y Combinator-backed startup, and eventually making it into Y Combinator himself. Today, he is building Alfera, an AI startup developing AI workers for businesses.

🎙️ In this episode of UNLOCKED, Oliviero takes us behind the Silicon Valley dream: the relentless pace, the pivots, the fundraising rejections and the reality of building a company from the ground up. He also breaks down what Europe gets wrong about startups,...

Oil prices are falling, but the relief across energy markets remains only partial. Diesel prices are surging to record highs as supply disruptions, elevated shipping costs and geopolitical tensions keep refined products under pressure. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has backed the idea of restricting US diesel exports to ease domestic prices — but if only it were that simple. Restricting exports could tighten global supply, push international diesel prices even higher and ultimately have consequences at home.
Elsewhere, the US dollar remains well bid despite cheaper oil, while the SNB prepares for its latest policy decision and Bitcoin is rebounding alongside...

Oil prices are retreating on Middle East peace hopes, while AI optimism is roaring back as Meta’s Muse AI fuels expectations for a new wave of agent-driven computing demand.
The improved mood comes into a relatively quiet week for economic data and events. And if oil prices continue to retreat, the picture could brighten further: easing energy-driven inflation fears could pull global yields lower, relieve pressure on central banks and give risk appetite more room to run.

Listen to find out more!

Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque...

What does it really take to reach financial freedom? 💰

Charlene started investing with just $500. A decade later, she had built a seven-figure portfolio and reached the point where she no longer had to rely on her corporate career. Her strategy? Surprisingly simple.

🎙️ In this episode of UNLOCKED, Charlene shares the journey behind her financial independence, from saving up to 50–60% of her income to building a simple, goal-driven investment strategy. She also breaks down the mistakes that hold investors back, from waiting for the “perfect” moment to home bias, overconfidence and unnecessary complexity.
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For informational...

Currency interventions can create some of the most violent moves in FX markets. When authorities step in to defend a currency, crowded positions can unwind rapidly, triggering stop-losses, short squeezes and a surge in volatility.
In this educational episode of Market Talk, we explore how FX interventions work, why positioning matters, and how traders can approach both sides of the intervention trade. We look at the Japanese yen and Swiss franc as examples, examine how authorities can exploit crowded positioning, and explain why an intervention can become much more powerful once the market starts doing part of the work.
But...

Markets found some relief this week, but the underlying risks are far from resolved. Nvidia revived appetite for AI and semiconductor stocks, yet massive capex requirements, financing needs and shrinking free cash flow remain important concerns. Meanwhile, oil prices eased, and global inventories are falling more slowly than JP Morgan’s earlier “no-resolution” scenario had feared. That buys the world precious time — but not necessarily enough if Middle Eastern supply disruptions persist.
Central banks are also walking a tightrope. The Bank of England overhauled its QT programme, the Fed raised rates to defend its inflation objective, and the Bank of...

The Fed delivered a widely expected 25bp rate hike, putting inflation firmly ahead of political pressure for lower interest rates. The decision triggered a hawkish market reaction, with short-term Treasury yields jumping, while the longer end and US equities showed a more contained response.
Attention now turns to the Bank of England and Bank of Japan. The BoE faces an increasingly uncomfortable mix of persistent inflation, higher energy costs, fiscal concerns and a weakening labour market, making the path ahead particularly complicated. Meanwhile, the BoJ is expected to raise rates as policymakers try to contain renewed pressure on the yen....

During the recording it was unclear, but it looks like CLARITY was just denied.

00:00 Intro
00:25 Disclaimer
00:29 Preview
00:44 Bitcoin
04:04 Ethereum
05:09 Solana
05:45 Near
07:07 Subscribe & Good bye

#crypto #cryptonews #cryptotrading #swissquote

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Markets are heading into the Fed decision with a clear message: a 25bp rate hike may actually be the less-bad option. With Fed funds futures overwhelmingly positioned for a hike, a surprise hold could raise uncomfortable questions about inflation credibility — especially as oil prices and Treasury yields move increasingly closely together.
Broadly, the US 10-year yield has pushed above 5%, putting pressure on bonds, equity valuations and financing conditions. Yet not every company is equally vulnerable. Hyperscalers like Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon still generate returns on invested capital well above their cost of capital, giving them a substantial...

The AI trade is entering a new phase. Until now, investors worried about valuations, circular financing, soaring capex and whether massive spending on chips and data centres would eventually generate adequate returns. Now, the debate has shifted to the speed of AI development itself. That change is already creating unexpected winners and losers, as investors reconsider who benefits if the race for ever-larger frontier models slows. The consequences could also spill into the broader economy, where AI-related investment has become an important source of growth. Add surging energy prices, persistent inflation, geopolitical uncertainty and expensive borrowing, and the timing is...