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Yes, this is the CityChad, your go-to guru for making bank – and not just in Monopoly. Let’s pass go and collect $200!

In this week’s edition:

• Markets: 🟢 Green Lights Ahead

• Article: 👨‍💻 The Art of Raise-Kwon-Do

• News: 🗳️Don Leading over Joe, 🖥️ NVIDIA pummels Hong Kong, 🇪🇪 Estonia Sets the Border

• Chad Of The Week: 🏁 Steve McQueen

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MARKETS: 🟢 GREEN LIGHTS AHEAD

Cyptochads, rise up.

Bitcoin has finally broken $50,000 barrier (again), powered by the upcoming halving and the good numbers BlackRock and Fidelity Investments Bitcoin ETFs posted last month.

To add to the crypto party, recent activity showed a large boost in stablecoins Market Caps, signifying growing inflows into the market.

Analysts are optimistic that Bitcoin’s new target could be as high as $69,000.

Ethereum and Solana are among the gainers as well.

Ethereum hodlers are eagerly awaiting for the approval its ETFs. And paradoxically, Solana has seen a collateral boost as traders seem to prefer its network over the classic Ethereum network to commit their transactions.

Commodities as a whole are currently undergoing a deflationary impasse as China seems to be “oversupplied” after last year’s oil binge and prices drop all throughout the country.

ARTICLE: 🎴 THE ART OF RAISE-KWON-DO

TLDR: Learning how to ask for a raise is an ancient art that any Chad should strive to master. Just like ninjas carried out point perfect missions with chilling precision, so should be your calculated professional moves. Learn how to prepare, what to say, and how to cultivate a positive outlook on your professional life.

• ⛩️​ Welcome to the Dojo

• 🥋 First Dogma: Think More of Yourself

• 🦵 Second Dogma: Leverage your Value

• ⚡ Third Dogma: Be Proactive

• 🥷 Entering the Arena

• 😎 The Chad Takeaway

⛩️​ WELCOME TO THE DOJO

Let's start on a high note.

It’s likely that you’re worth more than what your current paycheck suggests.

In fact, companies usually bank on their employees settling for less. It's like the secret menu at a ramen izakaya – most don't know it exists, but once you do, oh boy, it's a game-changer!

Payroll pundits agree that job hoppers – those who switch jobs with the frequency a renegade ronin changed allegiance– tend to score fatter paychecks than the loyal samurai who sticks around.

Red flag? Maybe.

But it also paints a clear picture: If you're a dedicated, long-term player, it's time to master the ancient and noble art of Raise-Kwon-Do.

Why Raise-Kwon-Do, you ask? Because you need to follow this dojo’s dogmas.

Don’t ask, claim.

Don’t expect an all benevolent paycheck upgrade to just fall in your lap. Earn it.

🥋 FIRST DOGMA: THINK MORE OF YOURSELF

In the world of Raise-Kwon-Do, self-belief is your black belt.

Never underestimate your value. It's like going to the gym – the more you flex your ambition, the stronger it gets.

Regularly assess your skills, achievements, and market value. Check job boards for similar jobs and how much are they paying.

Keep a victory log – note every win, no matter how small. Note how you contributed to it.

Build a strong pile of evidence for your case. Remember, if you don't believe in your worth, why should your boss?

🦵 SECOND DOGMA: LEVERAGE YOUR VALUE

Not a single employer will pay you more unless they feel it’s a good deal for them.

Just to be clear, you're not threatening to walk out; you're highlighting your indispensability.

The more you can good-heartedly and subtly show your employer how much value would be lost if suddenly you were to disappear, the more leverage you have for a negotiation later on.

⚡ THIRD DOGMA: BE PROACTIVE

Great workers usually go unnoticed. There’s an ancient saying that, great work whispers, while mistakes scream.

Maybe your superior is already accustomed to you being a well-oiled machine, it is quite possible that your outstanding work gets dubbed as just the standard.

No one is going to just hand you a random raise.

Don't wait to be recognized. Use every possible check-ins with your boss to discuss your progress and goals.

🥷 ENTERING THE ARENA

So now you’ve mastered those dogmas and already inked them as tattoos on your arms. You might feel ready to do the heist.

Break into the castle, talk to the shogun (your boss) and get away with the prize. All with the swiftness and elegance of a ninja.

Not so fast. Any decent Raise-Kwon-Do ninja should have these tips at hand.

• Have Clarity About Your Worth:

Before you enter the negotiation arena, you must know your number. This isn't a random figure on a kaiga painting; it's a value backed by research and your track record. If you can quantify the benefits of your achievements, do it. Be ready to articulate clearly why you deserve this raise. Don’t suggest, state.

• Master the Art of Timing

Any good warrior knows the prudency of choosing the right moment to attack.

Hard times? Wait for the dust to settle, then make your move.

Times of financial bonanza? Guard may be down, might be time to plunge in.

Finding yourself in a favorable ground, like having some new responsibilities? Don’t waste that advantage, and use it for leverage.

• Look Beyond the Money:

Sometimes the best deals aren't just about cold, hard cash. Be open for other forms of compensation. More vacation time, flexible working hours, professional development opportunities, or even a better title. These perks not only sweeten the deal but can also enhance your work-life balance and career trajectory.

• Avoid Comparisons:

The greatest swordmen in history knew that some missions were supposed to be undertaken alone. Avoid comparing yourself to your colleagues. Focus on your unique contributions and value to the company. It's about what you bring to the table, not how you compare to others.

• Handling Rejection:

If you get a 'no', don't see it as a full stop; it's just a line break in your haiku. Ask for specific feedback. What can you improve? What goals should you aim for? Show resilience and commitment to growth. Once you fixed whatever you could fix, return and ask again.

😎 THE CHAD TAKEAWAY

Of course, this is just the first of many lessons one could learn in the sacred Raise-Kwon-Do dojo.

Just remember that thinking that you deserve a raise is already the first step moving forward, but treat it like the venturous mission it is. Have a strategy, a plan, and the weapons to properly execute it.

NEWS: 🗳️DON LEADING OVER JOE

Last week was like Christmas in February for Team Trump, while Biden's camp seemed like they were auditioning for a retirement home commercial.

The Colorado ruling to erase Trump from the ballot was overturned by the Supreme Justice, calling it an overstepping of its state authority.

The Don also took a jab at Biden’s refusal to appear on the Super Bowl, calling it a sign of weakness.

This what after Joe’s pyrrhic victory over not being tried for criminal charges when handling classified information as a private citizen.

Special counsel Robert Hur said it best: “he would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory”

Definitely not flattering words for Joe. Making him run again seems like abuse at this point.

NEWS: 🖥️ NVIDIA TOPS HONG KONG

NVIDIA has no doubt led the stock front over the last year, soaring more than 230% and 41% since the start of 2024.

In fact, NVIDIA grew so much that its new market cap of $1.7 trillion makes it worth as much all companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The Hang Seng index (Hong Kong's answer to the S&P 500) kept diving deeper into red numbers, losing 20% of its market value last year.

So who's to blame for this tumble in the Chinese economy?

Well, real estate in China keeps plumetting, with most public developers now defaulting their debts.

NEWS: 🇪🇪 ESTONIA SETS THE BORDER

According to Estonian Intelligence, Russia is bolstering up for a gunswing against NATO countries on the following decade.

Apparently Russia is ready to double their forces stationed in their border with NATO countries, specifically Finland and the Baltic States, (Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania)

The idea of an immediate invasion seems highly unlikely however, as Russia won't be able to hold both a battlefront in Ukraine and the Baltic territories.

As a response, German troops will be permanently stationed in Estonia, signalizing its first foreign deployment since World War II.

This seems to be a reaction to Trump's speech declaring that he won't help any NATO country that isn't pulling its weight.

Seems the Don's words have been finally heard. C’mon guys, pay up!

CHAD OF THE WEEK: 🏁 STEVE MCQUEEN

This Chad wasn’t just a king… he was the King of Cool.

First off, McQueen’s style was sharper than an Italian don’s suit. The man made wearing sunglasses indoors not just acceptable, but made it seem downright necessary.

If coolness were a college course, he’d be the professor, with an honoris causa diploma.

Like most of the Chads we’ve covered in this humble section, McQueen had a rough upbringing.

His mother strayed from an abusive partner to another, leaving young Steve-o to be raised by his great-uncle Claude in a small farm.

The man taught him everything about manliness, and got him into one of his biggest loves: Cars.

You see, great men are usually multi-use Swiss army knives.

McQueen didn't just act; he raced cars and motorcycles the same way he acted in his movies – fast and with style. He competed against the greats of his time, racing in the 1970 12 Hours of Sebring, closely finishing second with a broken foot, and the 24 hours of Le Mans.

McQueen was more than just a pretty face with a cocky grin.

For a man that sold himself as an unbreakable badass, he had a very wide range as an actor, being able to play a cowboy in 'The Magnificent Seven' to a rebel in 'Papillion', and even a romantic lead in 'Love with the Proper Stranger'.

Like Duke Nukem, McQueen also had balls of steel, publicly taunting Charles Manson after he found out he was on his hitlist. Needless to say, Manson never even dared to approach a gun-carrying McQueen.

The man was the embodiment of being a Chad. In fact, his own son was named Chad.

One of my favourite quotes from him reads: “I live for myself and answer to nobody.”

That is your takeaway, right there.

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The Chad index (“the index”) is a combination of historical returns for the following assets:

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