Crypto News: Smarter, richer, more productive

Welcome back to Pursuits Weekly! This week Annika Inampudi in New York is joined by managing editor Nicole Torres in London for a look at the world’s biggest culture stories, as well as ideas and recommendations around travel, dining and art. Sign up here to get this newsletter every Saturday in your inbox.

Cog-maxxing

Peptides are all the rage these days. These short chains of amino acids packaged as injectables can trigger different biological processes like weight loss and insulin production. And while some peptides — like Ozempic — are legally allowed to be sold in the US, there’s a growing number of overseas retailers importing cheap, gray market injectibles, claiming miracles in the realms of muscle growth, hair loss and even skin tanning. The catch? There’s little to no scientific evidence that they’re safe, or even effective. And they’re not FDA-approved.

Over the past few months, I’ve talked to people who take gray market peptides, asking them how and why they choose what to take. And I’ve noticed that peptides are creeping into a controversial new frontier: the human brain.

Cognitive enhancers, known better as nootropics, have been around for ages. Think: modafinil, Adderall, even caffeine. But now, people are injecting unknown, unapproved substances into their bodies to stay smarter, think sharper and stay focused for longer.

Why? The reasons run the gamut. Some are looking for alternatives to traditional psychiatric medicine, doing it to stave off the inevitable effects of aging; some are looking for a competitive edge.

In May, Pursuits editor-at-large Chris Rovzar popularized the term “hotspan” — the fact that middle-aged men are feeling the pressure to stay sexy for as long as possible. After chiseled abs and flawless faces, sharp minds are the next frontier. More Americans are reporting symptoms of cognitive decline. Rates of dementia are rising. At the same time, an affordability squeeze (and fears of becoming part of the permanent underclass) are pressuring people to preserve their “mental capital.”

I spent time at an elite Manhattan concierge medicine clinic, where, for up to $5,000, clinicians deliver supervised peptide therapies to their high-achieving clients who want “that extra 20% unlock.” One Brazilian user gets his peptides smuggled across the border from Paraguay to help him with his autism and ADHD. Another is a Los Angeles biohacker who has tried every longevity treatment he can, saying he uses himself as a “guinea pig.”

Even in the face of insufficient clinical evidence and safety concerns, a billion-dollar market is going to be hard to quash.

By the numbers

Driver Austin Akers races a 1960 Ferrari 250 during the FAT Ice Race in Big Sky, Montana, on February 18, 2026. — Skid control.

€17,000

The cost of a Porsche Ice Experience in Finland — a little over $19,000 — next year. Hannah Elliott chronicles the growing mania among drivers keen to push their sportscars to their limits on frozen lakes in Sweden and snow-covered tracks in Montana.

11,111 rupees

The price of a meal at chef Gaggan Anand’s fine-dining restaurant Raga in Delhi amounts to about $125 — one of five top tables to know for Diwali. The 22-course menu begins “playfully,” say foodie reporters Akriti Sharma and Ruchi Bhatia, with an orange slice dunked in tequila, and a bite-size flower with guava-chile jelly tucked inside its petals.

2016

The last year Tulum was the coolest town on Earth, argues Juan Pablo Spinetto. Facing an ugly downfall, Mexico’s turquoise-water Caribbean “mecca for global trendsetters” has seen just 64% hotel occupancy this year due to overexpansion, inadequate infrastructure and a neverending sargassum invasion.

29%

The percentage of reading materials borrowed from the New York Public Library last year that were audiobooks. Emily Flitter finds that live audiobook readings are the new literary night out in the city.

The number of new Broadway productions in September, compared with 23 off-Broadway. The latter is where you’ll find thrilling new theater, write Chris Rovzar and Sarah Rappaport, as the economics of New York and London playhouses send edgier work further afield.

Perfect match

The AI boom isn’t just benefiting those working and investing in tech — it’s also driving business to wealth advisors, political donor networks and human matchmakers. Georgie McKay speaks to several of those matchmakers, who say that demand for their services has exploded over the past few years.

One is Amy Andersen, the founder of Linx Dating in Silicon Valley, who notes that some of her latest clients have been employees of companies such as Perplexity, Anthropic and Nvidia. Her fees start at $75,000 and can reach more than $500,000 for VIP service. Some VIPs even pay hundreds of thousands of dollars as bonuses for entering exclusive relationships, engagements or marriage.

The sneaker bubble bursts

Photographer: Janelle Jones for Bloomberg Businessweek — Red hot style.

The stock market is finally reflecting what fashionistas have been saying for months, argues Andrea Felsted, which is that it is (once more) uncool to wear sneakers in the office. According to market research firm Edited, the loafer is on track to replace the sneaker as fall’s go-to comfort shoe for both men and women.

Back in August, Chris Rovzar pointed out that suits were making an improbable comeback, as more people were leaving behind pandemic-era sweats and investing in more tailored clothing. Now Andrea highlights how all this dressing up is sending athleisure valuations down. Nike and Adidas haven’t escaped the downturn, while companies selling dressier shoes are having a much better go of it.

Snack break

A selection of egg tarts from various bakeries. Photographer: Ben Marans/Bloomberg — Butter diplomacy.

Egg tarts have crossed into mainstream bakery culture. But the booming business has a surprisingly tangled history, writes Tiffany Ap.

“Almost 40 years ago, Portugal’s pastel de nata, a custard tart, was adapted for Macau’s Portuguese community. The localized version eventually became a mass-market hit across China, thanks in large part to KFC, which now generates over 3 billion yuan ($448 million) in annual revenue from the sweet treat. Everyone from McDonald’s Corp. to artisanal bakers is now fighting for a piece of the action, making the egg tart a case study in how globalization and localization feed off each other.”

The longevity race

Viktor Maeenpaeae of Finland, Herman Paus of Norway competing during the Ski Classics Birkebeinerrennet Rena on March 18, 2023 in Rena, Norway. — Skiing has no age limit.

Cross-country skiing has been studied for its association with longevity for decades. Research has linked the sport to not only promoting longevity, but also delaying the onset of Parkinson’s disease, and reducing the risk of developing vascular dementia. No wonder seniors are fueling growth in the US. For the November issue of Bloomberg Businessweek, Jen Murphy writes about Nordic ski phenoms who are still racing — even winning medals and setting records — at 81 and 100 years old. One physiologist tells her: “A Nordic ski session touches 99% of every muscle you have.”

One Very Specific Recommendation: Act II of Degenerates

L-R: Zachary Desmond, Christopher Dylan White Photographer: Jackie Abbott — Discord and discourse.

There’s a moment midway through the first half of Degenerates at Playwrights Horizons where a woman a few seats to my right couldn’t stop emoting: “Oh… OHH… oh my… ohhhh my…” she kept mewing, meek, shocked, beside herself. Nervous giggles rippled through the audience. It was absurd. It was glorious. It cut the muck of tension and wry sadness that was being swirled out over the audience. You’ll know the moment by the cow ears.

And then Act II begins. Without giving anything more anyway — because Else Went’s trenchant play, directed by her wife, Emma Rose Went, deserves to be experienced, close enough to smell the pheromones — I’ll just say the logline doesn’t do Degenerates justice. What begins as a slog of bloviating, terminally online incels and the toxicity of the manosphere morphs into unforgettable theater when a set change registers an 8.2 on the emotional Richter scale. As noted above, Off-Broadway is where the thrills are this season.

The dual leads Zachary Desmond and Christopher Dylan White deadass mogged the 44 other shows I’ve seen in the past two months. Call it actingmaxxing. I hate them, I want to be their friends, I keep thinking about them, I can’t wait to experience it again. (The show just extended through Nov. 8.) By the time intermission arrived — a straight 1hr and 45 minutes through, with a third act to go — I couldn’t move, and not just because my butt hurt. The secondhand acting high had me couch-locked to my seat. —Justin Ocean

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