After two decades of navigating bull runs, bear markets, flash crashes, and everything in between, I’ve learned that the biggest returns don’t come from following the crowd—they come from positioning yourself ahead of transformative shifts before they become consensus trades. As we move through 2025, I’m seeing three massive convergences that most retail investors are either ignoring or misunderstanding. These aren’t your typical momentum plays or value traps. These are structural, generational shifts that will define the next decade of wealth creation.
Let me be clear: I’m not talking about quick flips here. If you’re looking for stocks that’ll double by next quarter, close this article now. What I’m sharing are the positions I’m building for my family’s wealth—plays that my kids will thank me for in 2035. After watching the internet revolution, the mobile transformation, and the cloud migration create trillions in market value, I recognize the same early patterns forming in three sectors today.
Ethereum: The Infrastructure Play Everyone’s Missing (ETHA)
I know what you’re thinking. “Crypto? Really? After all the crashes and scandals?” That’s exactly the reaction I want to hear, because it tells me we’re still early. After twenty years in this game, I’ve learned that the best time to build positions is when an asset class is hated but its underlying utility is accelerating.
Here’s what most investors miss about Ethereum: this isn’t about speculative digital coins anymore. We’re witnessing the construction of an entirely new financial infrastructure layer. While Bitcoin captured the “digital gold” narrative, Ethereum is quietly becoming the operating system for programmable money and real-world assets (RWAs).
The numbers tell a story that mainstream finance is just beginning to understand. Major institutions like BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and JPMorgan aren’t experimenting with Ethereum for fun—they’re tokenizing real assets on it. We’re talking about Treasury bills, real estate, and private credit moving on-chain. The total value locked in Ethereum’s DeFi protocols still exceeds $50 billion even after the recent corrections, and that’s before institutional adoption really kicks in.
What really convinced me to go heavy on ETHA (the newly approved Ethereum ETF) is the convergence of three factors: regulatory clarity finally emerging in the US, the successful completion of Ethereum’s transition to proof-of-stake (reducing energy consumption by 99%), and the maturation of Layer 2 scaling solutions that make transactions fast and cheap. This isn’t the Wild West of 2021 anymore—it’s becoming institutionalized infrastructure.
My position sizing reflects my conviction but also my experience. I’m allocating 15% of my portfolio to Ethereum exposure through ETHA, with plans to add on any significant dips. Why ETHA over direct ETH holdings? Simple: it sits in my traditional brokerage accounts, allows for tax-advantaged strategies, and eliminates custody risks. After two decades of trading, I’ve learned that sometimes the boring, compliant wrapper is the smart play.
The risk? Regulatory whiplash could still happen, and technical vulnerabilities exist in any new technology. But at current valuations, with Ethereum trading at a fraction of its utility value compared to traditional payment networks like Visa or banking infrastructure, the risk-reward is compelling for patient capital.
Key Ticker: ETHA
ETHA (Ethereum ETF)
Provides exposure to Ethereum within traditional brokerage accounts, simplifying investment and custody for institutional and retail investors.
The Nuclear Renaissance: Powering the AI Revolution (SMR, OKLO, URA)
If there’s one thing twenty years of market watching has taught me, it’s that major technological shifts create second and third-order opportunities that often outperform the obvious plays. Everyone’s buying NVIDIA for AI exposure, but they’re missing the massive infrastructure crisis that AI is creating: power.
The numbers are staggering. A single ChatGPT query uses 10 times the electricity of a Google search. Microsoft’s AI ambitions alone will require the equivalent of several nuclear reactors’ worth of power by 2030. Google, Amazon, Meta—they’re all facing the same crisis. Their net-zero commitments are colliding head-on with AI’s insatiable energy appetite. The solution? Nuclear power, specifically next-generation small modular reactors (SMRs).
This isn’t your father’s nuclear industry. The regulatory environment has shifted dramatically under the current administration, with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission streamlining approval processes that previously took decades. The bipartisan ADVANCE Act has created the most favorable nuclear development environment since the 1970s. Meanwhile, Big Tech has moved from opposition to embrace—Microsoft signed a deal to restart Three Mile Island, Google partnered with Kairos Power, and Amazon invested directly in X-energy.
My nuclear thesis centers on three positions: SMR for pure-play next-gen reactor exposure, OKLO for the revolutionary microreactor technology backed by Sam Altman, and URA as a diversified uranium play for when spot prices inevitably spike. I’m particularly bullish on SMR and OKLO despite their volatility, because they represent the picks-and-shovels of the AI infrastructure buildout.
The uranium supply-demand dynamics alone should wake up any serious investor. Current global production falls short of reactor demand by about 30 million pounds annually, and that’s before the wave of new reactors comes online. Utilities are already scrambling to lock in long-term supply contracts, and spot prices have more than doubled from their 2020 lows. Yet most generalist investors still associate nuclear with Fukushima rather than the AI revolution.
I’m allocating 20% of my portfolio to nuclear-related positions, weighted toward the development companies over uranium miners. Why? Because the technology providers will capture more value than commodity producers if this thesis plays out. The timeline is 2026-2030 for major catalysts, including first SMR deployments, utility power purchase agreements, and what I believe will be a surge in nuclear development announcements from tech giants.
Key Tickers: Nuclear Plays
SMR (NuScale Power)
A leader in small modular reactor technology. Analyst consensus is a ‘Moderate Buy’.
OKLO (Oklo Inc.)
Developing microreactors, backed by prominent tech investors. Analyst consensus is a ‘Buy’.
URA (Global X Uranium ETF)
A diversified way to invest in the uranium mining and production industry.
Quantum Computing: The 15-Year Wealth Builder (GOOGL, RGTI, IONQ)
This is where my two decades of experience really influences my approach. Quantum computing in 2025 reminds me of the internet in 1995—revolutionary potential, massive skepticism, and a long runway before mainstream adoption. Most investors will wait for proof, for revenues, for certainty. By then, the life-changing returns will be gone.
Let me be absolutely clear: quantum computing companies will not generate meaningful revenues for at least 5 years, possibly 10. Many current players will fail. The technology will face setbacks, “quantum winters,” and brutal volatility. So why am I building positions now? Because every transformative technology follows the same pattern—a long, quiet development phase followed by explosive adoption once critical milestones are reached.
The recent breakthrough announcements from Google’s Willow chip aren’t just incremental progress—they represent quantum error correction advancing years ahead of schedule. IBM’s quantum network now includes over 200 organizations. Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Volkswagen aren’t running quantum experiments for publicity—they’re preparing for a fundamental shift in computational capability that will obsolesce current encryption, revolutionize drug discovery, and transform financial modeling.
My quantum portfolio reflects both conviction and pragmatism. GOOGL serves as my safe, diversified exposure—if quantum fails, I still own one of the world’s best businesses. IONQ and RGTI represent my aggressive bets on pure-play quantum leaders. I’m dollar-cost averaging into these positions monthly, expecting 70%+ drawdowns along the way. This isn’t money I need in the next decade.
The key insight from my trading career: transformative technologies create wealth through patience, not timing. The investors who bought Microsoft in 1990 and held through multiple 50% drawdowns are doing quite well today. Quantum computing will create similar generational wealth, but only for those who can stomach the journey.
Key Tickers: Quantum Plays
GOOGL (Alphabet)
A tech giant with a leading quantum research division, offering diversified exposure.
RGTI (Rigetti Computing)
A pure-play quantum company with a ‘Strong Buy’ analyst consensus.
IONQ (IonQ)
A leader in trapped-ion quantum computing with a ‘Buy’ analyst consensus.
The Bottom Line
These three themes—decentralized finance infrastructure, nuclear-powered AI, and quantum computing—represent the kind of asymmetric opportunities that define careers. They share common characteristics: massive addressable markets, regulatory tailwinds finally emerging, institutional capital beginning to flow, and retail investors still skeptical.
Will all three work? Unlikely. Will the path be smooth? Definitely not. But if even one of these themes plays out as I expect, the returns will more than compensate for the others. That’s the beauty of transformative technology investing—you don’t need to be right every time, just right on the ones that matter.
The market will test your conviction on these positions repeatedly. There will be crashes, scandals, setbacks, and long periods where nothing seems to happen. That’s exactly what I’m counting on. Because after twenty years in this game, I know that the biggest returns come from seeing what others miss, acting before consensus forms, and having the discipline to hold through the chaos.
The question isn’t whether these trends will transform our world—they will. The question is whether you’ll position yourself to benefit from that transformation or watch from the sidelines as others build generational wealth. I’ve made my choice. The positions are built, the timeline is set, and now comes the hardest part: patience.
Disclaimer: This represents one trader’s analysis and should not be considered investment advice. All investing involves risk, including potential loss of principal. Do your own research and consult with financial professionals before making investment decisions.
Terry brings over 25 years of experience in stock and options trading, having actively navigated markets since 1999. A seasoned trader who has weathered multiple market cycles—from the dot-com boom and bust through the 2008 financial crisis to today’s dynamic markets—he combines deep market knowledge with technical expertise.
As a developer and digital creator, Terry has built and launched multiple financial websites and trading tools, bridging the gap between complex market analysis and accessible financial information. His unique perspective comes from hands-on experience on both sides of the screen: as an active trader executing strategies and as a developer creating platforms that serve the trading community.
Terry’s coverage focuses on actionable market analysis, options strategies, and technical insights drawn from real-world trading experience. He specializes in identifying market trends, analyzing options flows, and translating complex market movements into clear, practical insights for traders at all levels.
When not analyzing markets or developing new tools, Terry continues to actively trade and test strategies, ensuring their analysis remains grounded in current market realities.