10 things before the opening bell

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1. Crypto took the world on a wild ride in 2021 — and that is a dramatic understatement. The number of cryptocurrencies ballooned to over 16,000, and at one point the overall market cap hit $3 trillion.

Shiba inu coin and dogecoin delivered mind-blowing gains on the back of meme-driven rallies. Even now, "dogecoin" is the most searched crypto on Google and can be used to buy Tesla merch and AMC gift cards.

Bitcoin soared to new highs, and El Salvador adopted it as a legitimate currency in the hopes of the coin lifting the country out of the Third World.

In 2022, the roller coaster should only continue. Here's what else is going on:

• Binance coin's massive 1,300% gain in 2021 beat out bitcoin and ether on its way to becoming the world's third-biggest crypto.
• Florida has a new crypto-themed restaurant that takes all cryptocurrencies as payment, with menu items including a "bitcoinana split" and a "crypto cuban."
• El Salvador is set to continue its bitcoin bullishness in 2022 with a new volcano-powered crypto city and a "bitcoin bond."

2. U.S. stock futures rise on the first day of trading in 2022. But after a blockbuster year in 2021, analysts expect the new year to look different — as central banks seek to stop economies from overheating and governments respond to the Omicron outbreak. Here's what's going on.

3. Ivy Zelman, who called the housing market peak ahead of the 2008 crash, has a new prediction. She warns that housing-market conditions will change soon, as a flood of big money has made the system vulnerable. She explained why home prices will tank earlier than buyers, sellers, and Wall Street think.

4. Tesla jumps in premarket trading, after it delivered a record number of vehicles in the fourth quarter. The electric vehicle company revealed that it had delivered 308,600 vehicles, smashing analyst estimates and beating its third quarter record. More details here.

5. On the docket: Goa Carbon Ltd Dematerialised, Nordic Gold, and Blacksteel Energy, all reporting.

6. Several investing giants are expecting an epic market crash. From Michael Burry of "The Big Short" to Kevin O'Leary of "Shark Tank," big-name market gurus think a downturn is on the way. These are their gravest warnings so far.

7. Use these tokens to buy real estate in the metaverse. You won't be able to physically visit these plots of land, but the allure of these digital properties lies in them being backed by forgery-proof certificates on the blockchain. Here are the six hottest crypto tokens to use.

8. Warren Buffett's annual salary has been $100,000 for 40 years. Berkshire Hathaway spends three times his salary on his personal and home security each year, among other expenses. Here's an inside look at the billionaire's unique compensation.

9. These three property investors are on track to retire early after using the same wealth-building strategy. The trio has used "house hacking" to eliminate housing costs, build up long-term wealth, and become financially free. See the full strategy.

10. Gabriela Herculano uses a climate-conscious investment approach to buy companies that prevent damaging emissions from ever being made. Her firm applies an innovative investment strategy to make greener stock picks. She told Insider the six stocks she sees as long-term winners.

Compiled by Phil Rosen. Feedback? Email prosen@insider.com or tweet @philrosenn.

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