Where is Asia’s smart money going?

Markets are up despite an oil crisis, AI capex keeps climbing, and Asia's capital allocators are making big moves. So where is the region's smart money actually going? Maria sits down with co-host Aleksey — global head of investment solutions at Leo Wealth — for a full market vibe check across the region. They get into the two camps dividing investors right now (are we in '98 or about to hit a wall?), why North Asia is eating Southeast Asia's lunch on capital flows, and the surprising case for nuclear energy making a comeback. Aleksey floats a wild idea that's gaining serious traction: a compute futures market where you can buy GPU hours the same way you buy oil. They also unpack the Manus-Meta deal fallout, debate India's perennial "almost there" problem, and try — really try — to find the bull case for Southeast Asia. Timestamps 00:00 — “If an oil crisis can’t crash markets… what can?” 00:29 — Where is Asia’s smart money going right now? 07:50 — Why Asia suddenly feels bullish again 10:46 — The uncomfortable truth about Southeast Asia’s growth story 12:47 — India vs China: why investors still hesitate 17:29 — The next big AI trade: compute futures markets 25:33 — Can Asia produce a true AI software giant? 29:22 — IPO mania is returning 37:06 — The Manus/Meta controversy explained 42:47 — Rapid fire: Japan, China, India & Southeast Asia bull/bear cases 46:23 — “I don’t have a bull case for Southeast Asia” 50:54 — What markets are still underestimating about AI Give us feedback or nominate topics & speakers at 6040podcast@techinasia.com.