Bloomberg has just published a report summarizing the most notable financial "bets" of 2025, revealing a year full of risks for unstable companies, inflated valuations, and risky trend-following investment strategies.
One of the most popular investment strategies last year was betting on any asset associated with the Trump brand. After taking office, President Donald Trump pledged to support digital assets and appointed allies to regulatory bodies. However, this euphoria didn't last.
The memecoin launched by Mr. Trump, as well as tokens associated with his family, have plummeted dramatically. As of December 23, 2025, Mr. Trump's memecoin had fallen more than 80% from its January 2025 peak, while First Lady Melania Trump's token lost nearly 99% of its value. Shares of American Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency mining company co-founded by Eric Trump, also fell approximately 80% from their September 2025 peak. Despite political backing, this asset class has not escaped the harsh realities of the speculative market.
In contrast to cryptocurrencies, European defense stocks have become a bright spot thanks to geopolitical shifts. Trump's plan to cut military aid to Ukraine has forced European governments to accelerate defense spending.
Shares of Rheinmetall AG (Germany) have risen by approximately 150%, while shares of Leonardo SpA (Italy) have increased by more than 90% year-to-date as of December 23rd. The European defense index tracked by Bloomberg has risen by more than 70%. Notably, investment funds that had previously shunned this sector due to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards have now returned to invest heavily.
In Asia, the South Korean stock market recorded the most impressive growth in the world . As of December 22nd, the Kospi index had risen by more than 70% thanks to President Lee Jae-myung's capital market reform efforts and the global AI craze. However, paradoxically, while foreign capital inflows were strong, domestic individual investors withdrew a record $33 billion to shift to US stocks and higher-risk channels, putting downward pressure on the won.
In Japan, government bonds (JGBs), once considered the "graveyard" of short sellers, have staged a spectacular reversal. Yields on 10-year bonds have surpassed 2%, and 30-year bonds have reached record highs due to the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) tightening policy and inflationary public spending. This makes Japanese bonds the worst-performing market in the world by 2025, with an estimated decline of over 6%.
2025 also saw the collapse of the carry trade strategy in Türkiye in March 2025, resulting in a $10 billion outflow of capital and a 17% depreciation of the lira.
The corporate debt market is also sending out warning signals with a series of defaults and restructurings from big names like Saks Global, New Fortress Energy, Tricolor, and First Brands.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/nhung-canh-bac-ty-do-va-bien-dong-ky-luc-20251229195602584.htm
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