On this week's episode of The Riff, Erik Torenberg and Byrne Hobart explore the impact of technological change on markets, touching on meme investments, ESG, the rise of meme stocks and coins, Trump’s policies, China’s economic strategies, industrial policy debates, and how these factors could shape the future political and economic landscape.

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Highlights from the Episode:

Trump's recent cryptocurrency launch represents a significant shift in his financial strategy.
Meme coins/markets serve as a way to quantify social media competition and turn online engagement into measurable outcomes.
China's growth model succeeded in transitioning from low to middle income but faces difficulties reaching high-income status.
Japanese 30-year bonds now yield more than Chinese ones, suggesting market expects higher long-term growth in Japan.
Bipartisan concerns over TikTok's influence and Chinese ownership, coupled with Trump's reversal on the ban, highlight shifting political coalitions.

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RECOMMENDED PODCAST:

Check out Modern Relationships, where Erik Torenberg interviews tech power couples and leading thinkers to explore how ambitious people actually make partnerships work. Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov and researcher Nadia Asparouhova kick off the series with an unfiltered conversation about their relationship evolution.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod

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LINKS:

Byrne’s writing: https://thediff.co

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X / TWITTER:

https://twitter.com/ByrneHobart (Byrne)

https://twitter.com/TurpentineMedia (Turpentine)

Reconnecting with nature