Alternative Investing Report - March 12, 2026

*as of 3/11 Sources: S&P, BTC, FTSE, DJRE, GOLD

The consumer price index (CPI) inflation report for February showed a 0.3% monthly gain and a 2.4% annual gain, unchanged from January and in line with expectations. The core CPI report, which excludes food and energy costs, was up 0.2% monthly and 2.5% annually, also in line with expectations. Markets did not move much in response to the report, and the Fed is not expected to change course based upon the results.

➨ TAKEAWAY: Because of what has already happened in March with the Iran conflict and potential new global tariffs, this report is being treated as old news, with next month’s inflation reports now taking on greater importance. The Fed’s rate decision next week is likely to hold rates steady, with CME’s FedWatch tool putting the odds at 99.6% and the next rate cut expected to come in September.

In the newest episode of Smart Humans, Slava Rubin and Sacra's Jan-Erik Asplund discussed Ramp, OpenEvidence, Apptronik, Whop, and Shield AI, five of the hottest companies in the Pre-IPO asset class - and how investors can get access.

🎨 Art market rebound: Art auction sales rose 23% in 2025, and the market has shifted towards more established names and away from riskier, contemporary artists. Artworks that were sold within five years of the last purchase had negative returns on average, and all works resold at auction generated an average annual return of just 4.4 percent.

🚀 Missile interception startups: The war in Iran has put defense tech companies on center stage, particularly those that work on missile interception technology such as Anduril and Chaos Industries. This will be a large point of discussion in our Pre-IPO briefing on defense tech startups on March 24.

🪙 Crypto VC funding rises: Venture fundraising for crypto startups has jumped 50% year-over-year, though deal volume fell 46% as bigger rounds have gone to significantly fewer companies.

🤖 Meta buys Moltbook: The AI agent social network that went viral last month is being acquired by and folded into Meta’s Superintelligence Labs, which follows the creator of the viral OpenClaw project joining OpenAI.

🏢 Atlanta’s rental market: With construction activity slowing and vacancy rates dropping, multifamily rent growth in Atlanta is projected to be the second-highest in the U.S., spurring growth in investment activity, particularly for properties between $1 million and $10 million.

🏀 Scottie Pippen auction: Sotheby’s auction of the Bulls great’s personal collection brought in $6.2 million, led by a 1992 Larry Bird Olympics Dream Team jersey that sold for $896,000. One notable disappointment was a pair of Michael Jordan’s Olympic sneakers from the same year that sold for $640,000, well below the $1.5 million - $2.5 million estimate.

While AI’s popularity amongst investors has been undeniable, its popularity among the general population is struggling. A recent poll found that 46% of registered voters have negative views about AI versus only 26% who have positive views. When asked about their feelings about the technology, 57% think the risks outweigh the benefits, and 34% said the opposite. And those who are concerned about the risks of AI don’t trust either political party to solve issues, with 20% of voters preferring Republicans, 19% preferring Democrats, and 33% saying neither party was good at dealing with AI. Generally, Republicans have a more positive view of AI, with independents and Democrats holding negative views, a split that indicates a politicization of the technology and a polarization that is not good for the industry going forward.