“All Aboard!”

Hi there! What. A. Weekend! I sat for five hours watching my alma mater, St. Joseph’s Convent, St. George’s (SJC), celebrate 150 years of sisterhood. Seeing Convent girls from all over the world and different graduating classes, coming together ( some in person, some like me watching online) was a sight for sore eyes. The pride, the love, and the unbreakable bond felt like I was right there, back in that well-ironed, pleated navy-blue skirt, walking through the quadrangle, chit-chatting with my friends, playing the guitar at assembly, becoming the best version of myself.

Five years in that pinkish building with it’s unmistakable green roof, perched at the top of Church Street in the heart of the capital, molded me in ways I’m still discovering. SJC gave me more than a well-rounded education. It gave me confidence, sharpened my mind, stretched my creativity, and taught me how to move through life with grace and strength. Every single experience (good, bad, ugly), played a role in the woman I’m becoming. Looking back, I would not change a single thing.

I keep hearing Sr. Gabrielle’s words in my head:

Now, if that isn’t the truth. No matter the hardships, no matter how rough things get, I bloom. SJC gave me the roots and the drive to push through and flourish.

This legacy of sisterhood is real. Something I carry with me - always.

Here’s to 150 years of strength, service, and plenty, plenty love.

Alright, let’s dig in!

Last Week’s Market Overview (January 19 - January 25, 2025)

The past week saw markets react to the new administration's economic policies, with investors attempting to gauge the impact on equities, commodities, and currency markets. The S&P 500 reached a fresh all-time high, marking its first since early December, while Treasury yields inched higher. European and Asian equities also posted gains amid softened U.S. tariff concerns. However, crude oil prices reversed their five-week rally, falling on expectations of increased OPEC+ production. Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar weakened, further influencing asset prices across the board.

U.S. Markets Recap

Equities:

Last week, major U.S. indices finished in the green:

• S&P 500: +1.74%

• Nasdaq: +1.65%

• Dow: +2.15%

• Small Cap 2000: +1.34%

Growth stocks led the charge, bolstered by President Trump’s announcement of a $500 billion artificial intelligence infrastructure investment under the Stargate Initiative. This news propelled communication services and technology stocks higher, while industrials also gained on expectations of increased construction and equipment demand.

Key Earnings Highlights:

• Netflix (NFLX) and General Electric (GE) exceeded Wall Street expectations, driving their shares higher.

• Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Procter & Gamble (PG) also reported solid earnings, reinforcing confidence in consumer staples.

Fixed Income:

• The Bloomberg Aggregate Bond Index closed slightly higher as Treasury yields softened on Friday, reacting to a weakening dollar and weaker-than-expected PMI data.

• Concerns about U.S. budget deficits and future Treasury supply could also push yields higher in the coming months.

Commodities:

• Oil: WTI crude declined for the first time in five weeks as President Trump pressured OPEC+ to increase production while also threatening tariffs on Canadian oil.

• Gold: Prices surged to near record levels as investors sought safe-haven assets amid tariff uncertainty.

• Broad Commodities: The Bloomberg Commodities Index recorded a slight decline.

Currencies:

• The U.S. dollar dropped 1.8% last week, marking one of its worst weekly performances in months, as softened tariff rhetoric reduced demand for the greenback.

• The Japanese yen strengthened slightly following a Bank of Japan (BoJ) rate hike.

U.S. Economic Recap (January 19 - January 25, 2025)

• Inflation Expectations: The University of Michigan survey reported long-term inflation expectations holding steady at 3.3%, reassuring the Federal Reserve.

• Unemployment Trends: Continuing unemployment claims rose to their highest level since November 2021, suggesting a gradual labour market slowdown.

• Housing Market: Existing home sales showed improvement, but affordability remains a challenge.

Global Markets Recap (January 19 - January 25, 2025)

Europe:

• The STOXX 600 recorded its fifth consecutive weekly gain, touching all-time highs.

• Dovish ECB commentary and strong corporate earnings (e.g., Puma, Burberry) lifted sentiment.

Asia:

• Asian markets, excluding India, closed the week higher.

• China and Hong Kong gained after authorities encouraged mutual funds and insurers to increase stock exposure.

• Japan: Solid gains, fueled by expectations of a BoJ rate hike.

• Taiwan & South Korea: Led by industrial stocks, both markets ended in positive territory.

Crypto Recap (January 19 - January 25, 2025)

•  Bitcoin and Crypto Market Trends

  • Bitcoin (BTC) hit a new all-time high of $109K before retreating to $102K.

  • Investors initially saw Trump’s executive order on crypto as bullish, though the market later realized it lacked immediate impact.

  • Over this past weekend, BTC and altcoins faced a sharp sell-off, driven by fears over Chinese AI advances impacting U.S. markets.

• Ethereum Underperformance

  • ETH/BTC ratio hit new lows at 0.03, signaling further Ethereum weakness.

  • Community debates intensify over Ethereum’s future direction.

• Trump Memecoin Impact: 

  • Solana stablecoin supply surged 57%, hitting $9.6 billion due to massive trading demand.

• Last week’s top crypto gainers: MANTRA (OM) and Onyxcoin (XCN)

Here are other key highlights from last week:

• Morgan Stanley set to launch ‘safe’ crypto products, says CEO.

• Big banks like BofA may have to adopt crypto payments.

• Crypto ETF issuers piled on filings in first week post-Gensler.

• Magic Eden unveiled a no-code NFT launchpad.

This week in the markets is full of action!

Key U.S. Economic Releases So Far:

• New Home Sales (Mon): Up 5.9% MoM to 664K.

• Durable Goods Orders (Tues): Fell 2.2% in December, missing forecasts.

• Consumer Confidence (Tues): Dropped to 104.1, a four-month low.

Other Key Events This Week:

• Fed Interest Rate Decision (Wed)

  • No change expected, but Powell’s commentary will be closely watched.

• Q4 GDP (Thurs)

• Jobless Claims (Thurs)

• Core PCE Inflation (Fri)

• Chicago PMI (Fri)

Fed speakers this week:

Fed Chair Powell Speaks (Wed, 1:30 PM CT): Market participants will scrutinize his remarks for clues on future rate cuts.

Earnings: 

• SoFi (SOFI) posted record Q4 revenue of $739M, though shares dropped 15% post-earnings.

• AT&T (T) exceeded expectations with $32.3B revenue and $0.54 EPS, projecting strong 2025 growth.

• Upcoming Tech Earnings:

  • Microsoft, Tesla, Meta, Apple, Alphabet, Amazon set to report.

  • Analysts expect 10.3% YoY revenue growth, with broad implications for the sector.

Global Economic Events This Week:

• Key Global Interest Rate Decisions:

  • ECB and BoC rate decisions expected to shape global monetary policy.

• Other medium- to high-Impact data shown below.

Trading Tip:

“Historically, the first four trading days in February have been bullish!”

Week 1/19/25 - 1/25/25 Recap

Special Tools and Strategies

The Memecoin Craze – What’s the Hype About?

Memecoins are dominating the crypto bull market, and they’re turning small investments into life-changing wealth overnight. You’ve probably seen headlines or screenshots of traders flipping $50 into $250K+, fueling FOMO (fear of missing out) across the crypto space. But, here’s the reality : this is a high-risk, high-reward game.

With the right strategy, you can increase your chances of picking winning memecoins while avoiding scams and rug pulls.

What Are Memecoins?

Memecoins are cryptocurrencies inspired by internet memes, jokes, or cultural trends. Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, for example, memecoins lack strong fundamentals and are driven solely by hype, speculation, and community enthusiasm. Think of them as the lottery tickets of the crypto world: cheap to buy, highly speculative, and capable of delivering life-changing gains (or losses).

Characteristics of Memecoins:

✔️ Extreme Volatility – Prices can skyrocket or crash within hours (sometimes minutes).

✔️ Community-Driven – memecoin success depends on its hype and cult-like following.

✔️ Speculative – Many treat memecoins like lottery tickets hoping for huge returns.

✔️ Affordable Entry – Price starts below a penny, making it accessible to small investors.

Well-Known Memecoins

• SHIB – The “Dogecoin Killer” that exploded in 2021.

• PEPE – Based on the Pepe the Frog meme, it became a Solana favourite in 2023.

• TRUMP – Inspired by Trump’s 2025 inauguration.

Where to Find Memecoins Before They Moon

Finding undiscovered memecoins is key to catching massive gains before they hit mainstream, centralized exchanges (CEXs) like Binance or Coinbase.

1. On-Chain Platforms: Use DexScreener or DexTools to track new launches.

2. Social Media: Follow X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, TikTok, and Telegram to spot emerging trends.

How to Trade Memecoins Successfully

1. Research the Project Before Investing

• Check the project’s whitepaper and roadmap.

  • Look for projects with a clear, appealing narrative and vision.

• Analyze on-chain data using DexScreener or DexTools.

  • Look for consistent buy orders and avoid tokens with all-green candles (no pullbacks).

  • Avoid honeypots (tokens that don’t allow selling).

• Community Sentiment is Everything.

  • Are people genuinely excited, or is it just bot engagement?

  • Join Telegram and Discord groups to check real community interactions.

  • Check platforms like X, Reddit, and Telegram for activity levels.

• Verify the Team Behind the Project.

  • Anonymous developers? Higher risk.

  • Past successful projects? Better credibility.

2. Assess Social Media Trends

• Social media dictates memecoin prices. Use these tools:

  • Google Trends – See if interest is growing.

  • X (Twitter) Analytics – Track hashtags and engagement.

  • Reddit Crypto Communities – Follow meme-based discussions.

• Warning Signs:

  • Muted replies or comments disabled on social media.

  • Fake engagement (thousands of likes, but no real conversations).

  • Too many influencers shilling without reason.

3. Check the Tokenomics

• Supply and Demand Matter.

  • Low supply + high demand = higher price potential.

  • Look for burn mechanisms and locked liquidity.

• Market Cap & Volume Guide:

  • Under $5M market cap? High-risk, high-reward.

  • Ideal entry: Look for projects with $50K-$200K in volume within the first few hours.

  • On Friday evenings and weekends, $100K+ in the first 15 minutes is a good sign.

• Liquidity is King.

  • Look for locked liquidity.

  • Ensure the token has sufficient liquidity (ideally $200K+).

  • Avoid tokens with unlocked liquidity or 100% liquidity removal (a red flag for rug pulls).

  • Use TokenSniffer or SolSniffer to check liquidity.

• Beware of High Buy/Sell Taxes.

  • Buy tax over 10%? Sketchy.

  • Sell tax over 90%? It’s a honeypot. Avoid.

4. Track Smart Money Moves

• Watch What the Whales Are Doing.

  • Use Bubblemaps to check token distribution, avoid coins where one wallet holds 50%+ of supply.

  • Follow KOL (Key Opinion Leader) wallets to see what insiders are buying.

• Look for BlueChip Investors.

  • Some top traders buy early before hype kicks in, track their wallet activity.

5. Check Contract Security

• Use security tools like Rugcheck, Solsniffer, or TokenSniffer to review the token’s safety score.

• Avoid tokens with mint authority or other red flags.

6. Choose a Trading Platform

• For Solana-based memecoins, decentralized exchanges (DEXs) like Raydium or Jupiter are popular.

• Ensure the platform supports the token you’re interested in.

• Reference Issue #116 for additional DEXs.

7. Know When to Sell & Secure Profits

• Take Partial Profits.

  • Don’t wait for the perfect 100X, sell at key milestones (2X, 5X, 10X).

• Stick to a Profit Target.

  • If you aim for 10X, don’t get greedy and hold for 100X.

  • Set stop-loss to protect against massive drops.

• Exit Before the Hype Dies.

  • Once influencers start shilling too hard, the top is near.

  • Monitor sell-offs from big wallets, that’s a red flag.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Trading Memecoins

• FOMO Buying: Jumping in too late after a pump.

• Ignoring Liquidity: No liquidity = no exit.

• Overtrading: Every memecoin isn’t a winner. Be selective.

• No Exit Plan: Have a clear take-profit strategy before buying.

The Reality of Memecoin Trading

Trading memecoins can be insanely profitable, but most coins go to zero.

• Expect to lose on some plays.

• Focus on stacking ETH, SOL, USDT, or USDC and building capital over time.

• Watch the charts, study trends, and learn from every trade.

Final Tip: Don’t chase every new launch. Pick the ones with strong narratives, real community backing, and solid tokenomics.

Catch 2-3 Winning Plays Out of 10.

Those few wins could be your 100X jackpot.

Trade smart, take profits, and never risk what you can’t afford to lose.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is strictly educational. The information this report provides does not constitute investment, financial, trading, or any other advice. You should not treat any of the report’s content as such. Please be careful and do your research.