📍 The language of 2026 has already slipped into 2025 — and the message is clear: prepare for a new operating system. ⸻ Hey Builders, At Bloomberg's New Economy Forum in Singapore last week, HSBC CEO Georges Elhedery said something executives usually avoid in public: "The code behind foundation models will fragment and have national boundaries." He wasn't speculating. He was describing 2026. While markets tremble and capital continues flowing, four structural shifts are converging — and they're arriving faster than the systems built to manage them. ⸻ 🗞️ Thing to Think About: The Four Shifts Reshaping 2026 1️⃣ AI Is Becoming National Infrastructure The age of global AI is ending. Foundational assets — chips, compute, and the code itself — are being treated as sovereign strategic resources, not borderless tech. Expect parallel AI ecosystems across the U.S., EU, and China, each optimized for their own priorities: speed, safety, or state control. 💡 What this means for you... AI builders will soon need to pick their jurisdiction. A single model aligned to all three regulatory blocs is becoming unrealistic. 2️⃣ Supply Chains Are Being Rebuilt, Not Optimized Hyundai CEO José Muñoz put the new industrial logic plainly, stating, “AI and robotics are no longer optional — they are how we survive tariffs.” Companies aren't fine-tuning supply chains—they're relocating them, even at higher costs. Former U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo captured the political reality: "Tariffs, once put on, are hard to take off." 💡 What this means for you... The winners of 2026 won’t be the most efficient — they’ll be the most adaptable, diversified, and automation-ready. 3️⃣ The Debt Tide Is Rising — and Patience Is Thinning Global debt is now $74 trillion, and Ashmore Group CEO Mark Coombs warned that countries like the UK risk “another Liz Truss moment” if markets lose confidence. Financial shocks may not be systemic — but they will be sudden. 💡What this means for you.... Watch sovereign spreads. When yields move out of sync with fundamentals, it’s often the first sign that markets are repricing political credibility. 4️⃣ Geopolitics Is Shifting from Tension to Tactics The U.S.–China trade truce is real, but so is the rivalry. Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the quiet part clearly: “All the actions America takes vis-à-vis China strengthen their resolve to work even harder.” Cooperation in public health and climate will grow, but competition in tech, defense, and critical minerals will sharpen. 💡What this means for you.... Diversification is no longer about sectors — it’s about regions. ⸻ ䷅ The Contrarian View — Why 2026 Might Not Break the Pattern Not every global leader agrees that 2026 marks a structural break. Apollo CEO Marc Rowan offered the calmest read of the week: “There’s nothing I see that is systemic.” A reminder that corporate balance sheets remain sturdy, credit markets are functioning, and the financial system is absorbing pressure — not unraveling under it. Goldman Sachs President John Waldron added a more measured warning: “The market could pull back further from here.” A correction, not a crisis. Which brings us to the real question: Are we witnessing deep structural change — or simply turbulence amplified by politics, technology, and sentiment? How you answer shapes how you position for the year ahead. ⸻ 🕵 Three Things to Watch Closely in 2026 1️⃣ Who Sets the First AI Regulatory Standard The EU has momentum. The U.S. has fragmentation. China has coordination. Whoever moves first will shape value capture. 2️⃣ Where Supply Chains Actually Relocate Ignore announcements. Follow capital expenditures, robotics shipments, and port/rail redesigns. 3️⃣ Which Country Triggers the First Credibility Shock The UK, France, Japan, and several emerging markets all face thin margins for fiscal error. ⸻ 💬 Quote of the Day “Certain assets — code, chips, data — will fragment and gain national boundaries. All of us will have to adapt.” — Georges Elhedery, CEO, HSBC ⸻ 🎬 Closing Thought Every era leaves hints before it leaves history. The hints of 2026 are arriving early — fragmentation, realignment, and a global shift toward protecting what nations can no longer afford to share. You don’t need perfect foresight to navigate it. You need discipline, attention, and the willingness to move before the path is obvious. The opportunities are already visible to anyone willing to see beyond the headline. ⸻ ⚡ OHUBNext Sunday Brief — foresight, focus, and moves that matter. For 12+ years, OHUB has been building pathways to multigenerational wealth through exposure, skills, entrepreneurship, capital markets, and inclusive ecosystems.