Ten years hence, the American fleet boasted a mere two operational icebreakers: the venerable USCGC Polar Star, launched into service in the distant year of 1976, and the somewhat younger USCGC Healy, gracing the waves since 1999. In stark contrast, our Russian counterparts paraded a fleet of forty such vessels, six of which were propelled by the very power of the atom! A disparity that, to a discerning eye, hinted at a certain…lack of foresight.
Oneok, currently yielding just over 5%, offers a dividend that, at first glance, appears generous – exceeding the meager returns of the broader S&P 500. A quarter-century of dividend ‘stability’ is proclaimed, a phrase that, upon closer inspection, reveals less a steadfast commitment to shareholder return and more a carefully managed exercise in maintaining appearances. While not adhering to an annual increment without fail, Oneok has, over the last decade, managed a near doubling of its dividend, a feat achieved while many of its peers were forced to curtail payouts. This is not necessarily a triumph of superior management, but a testament to the power of a carefully circumscribed market, shielded from the full force of competitive pressures.
The current fascination with tokenized real-world assets—a rather clumsy phrase, really—offers a peculiar illustration of this phenomenon. Traditional instruments, rendered as cryptographic tokens, promise efficiency and automation. A neat idea, in theory. But the practical benefits, one suspects, are often lost in the enthusiasm. Ethereum, at present, appears to be attracting a disproportionate share of this nascent activity, while XRP lags behind. The question, of course, is whether this disparity warrants a commitment of capital—a thousand dollars, perhaps—in the hope of capturing some portion of this growth.
And what of its companions, those lesser lights in the crypto firmament? XRP and DOGE, those rambunctious upstarts, have leapt and bounded with the enthusiasm of peasants at a village fête, their gains a testament to the whimsy of the market. Even PEPE and PI, those curious newcomers, have joined the revelry, their ascents as sudden as a summer storm in the Russian steppe.
One seeks, naturally, to identify those companies poised to weather the decades, to deliver a quiet, consistent yield to those patient enough to wait. It is a simple proposition, to be sure, yet fraught with the anxieties of a world that prizes instant gratification. Here, then, are three such names, observed over a period of time, which appear, at least for the present, capable of sustaining their quiet prosperity.
Could it get back there by the end of the year? That $260. A round number. People like round numbers. Let’s have a look.
Most of these digital whatsits lack what you might call ‘intrinsic worth’. No earnings, no cash flow, just… potential. Like a very promising goblin who keeps promising to build you a bridge. Stablecoins are marginally better – they’re anchored to something real, like the U.S. dollar, which, admittedly, is also a form of collective belief, but one with slightly more paperwork. The whole thing lacks the reassuring solidity of, say, a well-made boot. Or a company that actually makes things. And as we’ve seen lately, when the wind changes, these digital castles tend to dissolve rather quickly. The recent slump – a rather dramatic tumble from over four trillion dollars – was, shall we say, a cautionary tale. Blame geopolitical unrest, blame institutional investors getting cold feet, blame the inherent instability of anything built on promises. It all adds up.
They’re talking about growth, about net deposits, about Gold subscriptions. Fine. Numbers. Meaningless hieroglyphs until they translate into actual, tangible POWER. But dig a little deeper. Eleven products already kicking out over $100 million a year. ELEVEN. And a credit card about to make it twelve. That’s not a trading app anymore, folks. That’s a goddamn financial ecosystem, slowly, deliberately, building itself into a fortress. A fortress against the inevitable collapse. Or, you know, just a really aggressive fintech company. Whatever.
Since January 2025, it’s been a rally, a proper bull market. Fifteen percent here, sixteen percent there, eighteen for the Nasdaq. It’s enough to make a sensible person consider investing in something…anything. Except, of course, sensible people probably already have. I tried to explain it to my neighbor, Mr. Henderson, a retired taxidermist. He mostly wanted to know if there were any good stocks in the stuffed animal industry. I just nodded and backed away slowly.
Nvidia, of course, is the obvious cautionary tale – or the inspiration, depending on your tolerance for risk. They rode the gaming wave, then discovered the data center goldmine. Intel? They just…stalled. A slow, agonizing fade. A monument to complacency. The question isn’t if these cycles happen, it’s when and who gets flattened. And right now, all eyes are on Boise.