Finance

Year-End Financial Decisions to Boost Your Financial Health

As mid-December approaches, it’s a good time to reflect on the year and focus on practical financial strategies for the remainder of 2024. While it’s easy to get distracted by the year’s major events, it’s more productive to prioritize actions that can impact your financial future. Some strategies may be relevant to you, while others may not, but identifying the right opportunities can help guide your decisions as you enter 2025. From adjusting your investment allocations and considering charitable donations to reviewing your retirement accounts and tax planning, taking proactive steps now can set you up for success in the new year.

TECH

US-China Tech War Sparks Boomtowns in Asia Driven by AI and Chips

In northern Vietnam, sand-filled trucks and red cranes dominate the skyline of a booming industrial complex, while further south in Malaysia, quiet villages and palm oil plantations are evolving into technological manufacturing hubs. As multinationals, governments, and startups race to develop AI, build chipmaking centers, and secure computing power, the growing tensions between Beijing and Washington are reshaping Southeast Asia into the tech epicenter of the future, transforming local towns in the process.

CRYPTO

Hawk Tuah Girl Faces Backlash Over Controversial Crypto Coin

Hailey Welch, best known for the viral "Hawk Tuah" meme, is facing backlash after the cryptocurrency she launched plummeted in value. The "Hawk" coin initially reached a market cap of $490 million shortly after its Wednesday launch, but quickly lost over 95% of its value within hours.

This sharp drop has led to accusations, including from YouTube cryptocurrency investigator Coffeezilla, who claims Ms. Welch engaged in a "pump and dump" scheme — inflating the coin's price before selling it for profit. Ms. Welch has denied these allegations, asserting that neither she nor her team sold any of their tokens.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she stated, "Team hasn't sold one token," and added that no "key opinion leaders" were given free tokens. Prior to the launch, she had distributed Hawk tokens to some fans on social media.

Launched on the Solana blockchain, the Hawk coin saw its market capitalization peak at $490 million before plummeting to around $60 million within 20 minutes. Fans and investors accused Welch and her team of "misleading" them, suggesting the launch was a "rug pull" — a term used when promoters stop trading and abscond with the funds raised from coin sales.

Coffeezilla, in a widely viewed video, claimed that the launch targeted inexperienced fans and not seasoned crypto investors, further alleging that insiders had been given preferential treatment. He also criticized Welch’s team for not taking responsibility for the fallout.

In response, Ms. Welch stated that her team had tried to prevent “snipers” — traders using automated tools to exploit price fluctuations — by imposing higher fees on one exchange. The team behind the Hawk coin, OverHere, reiterated that no tokens had been sold by Welch’s group.

Meme coins like Hawk have gained popularity for their playful, low-cost appeal but carry similar risks to larger cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. While they attract younger investors, many have lost money, with some celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Logan Paul facing similar controversies for promoting crypto schemes without full disclosure of their financial involvement.