BitWise CIO Matt Hougan said bitcoin will increasingly act independently from stocks. "You have a lot of things that are impacting the stock market that don't impact bitcoin," Hougan stated. "It's being driven by other factors. It's being driven by fiscal debasement. It has this huge institutional investment going on." He added that as bitcoin matures, it will behave as a unique asset that improves portfolio performance.
CrowdStrike founder and CEO George Kurtz discussed AI agents' cybersecurity risks. "The challenge that you have with some of these AI agents, it's like giving full access to a drunken intern," Kurtz said. "I mean, who knows what they're going to do, right? So you have to put a lot of guardrails around the agents." He noted AI agents will change the world but must be implemented securely to minimize business risks.
Perella Weinberg CEO Andrew Bednar described current conditions for dealmaking. "I would say today we've got the equivalent of perfect ski conditions," Bednar remarked. He cited a strong equities market, strong credit market, and accommodative regulatory regime in Washington as factors driving M&A activity. "Those three components, I think, come together and create very, very favorable conditions for more transaction activity," he said.
Thinkorswim founder Tom Sosnoff commented on potential market movements. "It's not that I think we're rolling over and crashing or anything like that, but I just think the odds favor the downside in the market," Sosnoff stated. He suggested stocks are fully priced and predicted a possible 10% to 15% sell-off in March, April, or May this year, similar to last April's decline.
Crossmark chief markets strategist Victoria Fernandez discussed bank stocks after earnings. "Even though JP Morgan typically is kind of your gold standard here, the price has gotten pretty high," Fernandez said. She recommended looking at Bank of America or Citi as entry points due to lower valuations and strong balance sheets. "We think the yield curve is going to continue to steepen throughout 2026 for lots of reasons," she added, citing Fed rate cuts and global yields.
Former tennis pro and ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe spoke about handling losses. "You have to get accustomed to losing, and then you have to be able to look in the mirror and say, OK, what can I do to still feel good about myself, still try to improve myself," McEnroe said. He recalled playing Andre Agassi, acknowledging certain skill levels are unattainable. "When the reality sets in that that's not going to happen, you have to be content with OK, how can I be the best I can be," he stated.