Welcome to the Friday edition of What's Trending!

Hongbin Jeong and Nadiah Koh get festive as they unpack a Christmas chart twist: Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You has been dethroned by Wham!’s Last Christmas. Is the Queen of Christmas losing her crown, or still winning where it counts? They also dive into a viral story from South Korea, where a 20-year-old LG air conditioner turns out to have a logo made of pure gold,  sending people scrambling to check their old appliances. And to wrap things up, a TikToker tests which country has the cleanest streets by walking around in white socks, with Singapore, Japan and China all in the running.

 

Welcome to the Friday edition of What's Trending!
Hongbin Jeong and Nadiah Koh get festive as they unpack a Christmas chart twist: Mariah Carey&rsquo;s&nbsp;All I Want for Christmas Is You has been dethroned by Wham!&rsquo;s Last Christmas. Is the Queen of Christmas losing her crown, or still winning where it counts?&nbsp;They also dive into a viral story from South Korea, where a 20-year-old LG air conditioner turns out to have a logo made of pure gold,&nbsp; sending people scrambling to check their old appliances. And to wrap things up, a TikToker tests which country has the cleanest streets by walking around in white socks, with Singapore, Japan and China all in the running.
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Money Matters is your guide to navigating the day's most important topics, from politics and current affairs to wealth management and trending issues. Every evening, the team delivers insightful discussions on business news, market movements, and the latest in alternative assets. Whether navigating the political landscape, understanding the economy, or uncovering emerging investment opportunities, Money Matters keeps you informed and ahead of the curve. Tune in daily to Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian from 4 pm to 7 pm on MONEY FM 89.3.

Money Matters is your guide to navigating the day's most important topics, from politics and current affairs to wealth management and trending issues. Every evening, the team delivers insightful discussions on business news, market movements, and the latest in alternative assets. Whether navigating the political landscape, understanding the economy, or uncovering emerging investment opportunities, Money Matters keeps you informed and ahead of the curve. Tune in daily to Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian from 4 pm to 7 pm on MONEY FM 89.3.

Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

MONEY FM 89.3 is Singapore’s first and only Business and Personal Finance station. MONEY FM is a 24-hour English talk format station featuring local and international business and financial news. We provide you with financial market and currency updates and insights from analysts, economists, policy makers, industry experts and business owners.

In the lighter hours, listen to discussions on social issues and features on topics that include health, education, arts and music.

MONEY FM 89.3 is Singapore&rsquo;s first and only Business and Personal Finance station. MONEY FM is a 24-hour English talk format station featuring local and international business and financial news. We provide you with financial market and currency updates and insights from analysts, economists, policy makers, industry experts and business owners.
In the lighter hours, listen to discussions on social issues and features on topics that include health, education, arts and music.

MONEY FM 89.3 is Singapore’s first and only Business and Personal Finance station.

MONEY FM 89.3

Your evening guide to the day's most important topics — navigate the key events in politics, business, markets, wealth management, and top investment opportunities. Keeps you informed and ahead of the curve, daily.

Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian (4pm - 7pm)

What's Trending: Christmas queen loses her crown, your old air-con might be worth gold & socks on Singapore streets?

Crypto is no longer just a niche play. Asia’s high-net-worth individuals are increasingly allocating real portions of their portfolios to digital assets.

According to Sygnum’s 2025 APAC HNWI Report, nearly half of HNWIs in the region now dedicate more than 10% of their wealth to crypto, viewing it as a tool for long-term preservation and legacy planning rather than pure speculation.

What’s driving this bullish sentiment? And how will crypto shape private wealth strategies in 2026?

On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Jason French, Executive Director at Sygnum Bank, to break down the trends, the opportunities, and what this shift means for the future of wealth in Asia.

Crypto is no longer just a niche play. Asia&rsquo;s high-net-worth individuals are increasingly allocating real portions of their portfolios to digital assets.
According to Sygnum&rsquo;s 2025 APAC HNWI Report, nearly half of HNWIs in the region now dedicate more than 10% of their wealth to crypto, viewing it as a tool for long-term preservation and legacy planning rather than pure speculation.
What&rsquo;s driving this bullish sentiment? And how will crypto shape private wealth strategies in 2026?
On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Jason French, Executive Director at Sygnum Bank, to break down the trends, the opportunities, and what this shift means for the future of wealth in Asia.

Wealth Tracker: Why are Asia’s wealthy going all in on crypto?

TikTok’s future in the US has been hanging by a thread, caught between national security concerns, political battles, and calls for divestment. Now, ByteDance has unveiled a plan: a US-based joint venture with American and global investors, keeping only a minority stake for itself. Oracle will oversee data security, and TikTok says the new structure will operate independently.

But does this deal really address the underlying security and governance concerns? Can TikTok stay under US oversight without compromise and what does it mean for the millions of Americans using the app every day?

On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Cedomir Nestorovic, Professor of Geopolitics at ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific, to find out what this deal could mean for TikTok, its users, and the broader US-China tech landscape.

TikTok&rsquo;s future in the US has been hanging by a thread, caught between national security concerns, political battles, and calls for divestment. Now, ByteDance has unveiled a plan: a US-based joint venture with American and global investors, keeping only a minority stake for itself. Oracle will oversee data security, and TikTok says the new structure will operate independently.
But does this deal really address the underlying security and governance concerns? Can TikTok stay under US oversight without compromise and what does it mean for the millions of Americans using the app every day?
On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Cedomir Nestorovic, Professor of Geopolitics at ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific, to find out what this deal could mean for TikTok, its users, and the broader US-China tech landscape.

The Big Story: Is ByteDance's secret deal about to save TikTok from a US ban?

Singapore shares inched higher today to track gains seen across Asia. 

The Straits Times Index was up 0.15% at 4,577.44 points at 3.11pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$749.75M seen in the broader market.

In terms of counters to watch for today, we have Stoneweg Europe Stapled Trust. 

That’s after the managers of Stoneweg Europe Stapled Trust said it has entered into an agreement to divest a non-core office property in Italy for a consideration of 34 million euros (S$51.4 million).

Elsewhere, from how the Bank of Japan hiked interest rates to a 30-year high of 0.75 per cent, to how US President Donald Trump’s administration has reportedly launched a review that could result in the first shipments to China of Nvidia’s second-most powerful AI chips, more international headlines remained in focus.

On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Kenneth Goh, Director, Private Wealth Management, UOB Kay Hian.

Singapore shares inched higher today to track gains seen across Asia.&nbsp;
The Straits Times Index was up 0.15% at 4,577.44 points at 3.11pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$749.75M seen in the broader market.
In terms of counters to watch for today, we have Stoneweg Europe Stapled Trust.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s after the managers of Stoneweg Europe Stapled Trust said it has entered into an agreement to divest a non-core office property in Italy for a consideration of 34 million euros (S$51.4 million).
Elsewhere, from how the Bank of Japan hiked interest rates to a 30-year high of 0.75 per cent, to how US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s administration has reportedly launched a review that could result in the first shipments to China of Nvidia&rsquo;s second-most powerful AI chips, more international headlines remained in focus.
On Market View, Money Matters&rsquo; finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Kenneth Goh, Director, Private Wealth Management, UOB Kay Hian.

Market View: Asian markets up on below-forecast US inflation; Bank of Japan hikes rates to 30-year high; US reportedly launches review of advanced Nvidia AI chip sales to China; Nike’s China playbook; OpenAI seizing early lead in education market; Stoneweg Europe Stapled Trust to watch

What's Trending: Christmas queen loses her crown, your old air-con might be worth gold & socks on Singapore streets?

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