Alternative Investing Report - January 6, 2026

*as of 1/5; Sources: S&P, BTC, FTSE, DJRE, CL50

Crunchbase asked a number of top VC investors for their 2026 predictions, and they generally expect more of the same - more funding, bigger rounds, and AI to continue to dominate the industry. Other than AI, they point to defense tech and robotics as sectors to watch, and expect an increase in liquidity with more IPOs and more M&A activity. Pitchbook’s 2026 outlook also sees deal activity and liquidity increasing, leading to a rebound in fundraising as investors redeploy their distributions.

➨ TAKEAWAY: The VC ecosystem in 2025 saw an uptick in funding and bigger funding rounds, spurred by AI, and the IPO window cracked open a tiny bit, with prominent public offerings from VC-backed companies such as Klarna, Figma, and Chime. It makes sense that the experts expect all of those trends to continue, though the mixed performance of many of last year’s IPOs could cause some investors to be wary. If companies such as SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic do end up going public, all bets are off, as that could cause a massive sea change across the entire investing ecosystem, let alone VC.

🪙 Crypto upswing: Bitcoin hit a six-week high, nearing $95,000, as the crypto market started the new year on a good note. Ethereum and Solana have seen double-digit gains in the past couple of days, with XRP gaining 9% yesterday and more than 20% in the past week.

📈 Retail investors had strong 2025: Everyday investors in the equities market had one of their best years in 2025, thanks to a more long-term approach, buying the dip, and focusing on ETFs and gold.

🤖 OpenAI eyeing Pinterest: The AI startup is reportedly looking to acquire the social media platform Pinterest, which would give it a large visual dataset, a new base of users, and a potential leap forward in AI-powered shopping.

🏢 Office outlook mixed: While the sharp decline in the office sector over the previous few years seems to have abated, the likelihood of an equally sharp rebound is unlikely, with more modest growth in prices and slightly positive net absorption rates on tap in 2026.

🎨 2026 exhibitions to watch: A look at twenty anticipated museum openings, exhibitions, and art fairs in 2026, led by the Venice Biennale, Whitney Biennale, and a pair of high-profile Frida Kalho shows in Houston and New York.

🏡 Ultra-luxury market: There were ten home sales topping $100 million in the U.S. last year, up from seven in 2024 and five in 2023, as the top-end of the real estate market unsurprisingly operated independently from the rest.

A pair of lots of New Jersey farmland totaling 193 acres are hitting the auction block next month. Located in Ocean County, around an hour from Philadelphia and 90 minutes from New York City, the similarly-sized lots can be bought separately or together. There are no structures on the land, and each lot has a designated area for building a custom residence. According to the listing, the land is suitable for crop farming, orchards, vineyards, equestrian, or livestock. There is no indication of a minimum bid, so if you’re looking for some country living, go ahead and throw your hat into the ring.