Billion-Color Laser TVs, Home Theater Aromas and a Car That Drives Sideways

Plus, a first look at the Franklin Templeton spot bitcoin ETF

Ric Edelman: It's Friday, January 12th, my final day here at CES where we've got some really cool product innovations. I want to share for you some new products that you can buy right now or very soon in the next year or so. And it is day two of the trading of spot bitcoin ETFs. We're bringing to you a series of interviews with the new ETF sponsors so that you can learn the differences between these ETFs and figure out which ones of these are the ones you want to invest in. We're going to have a conversation today with the folks from Franklin Templeton and their new Spot Bitcoin ETF, EZBC. That's coming up a little bit later on today's show.

But first, let me share with you some really cool product innovations at the Consumer Electronics Show. Two TV innovations I want to start off with that were announced this week. TCL is a company that has announced the ultimate home theater. It's a 115-inch screen that's pretty darn big, that boasts 20,000 dimming zones for high contrast video, plus a 6.2.2 channel speaker system for room filling sound and Nexigo Aurora Pro launched what they say is the world's most advanced laser TV, a tri color laser engine that reproduces more than 1 billion colors. And let's say you're watching a movie. What are the senses that you get immersed in sight and sound? For sure. And with some cool high tech movie theaters, your seat vibrates with the action. 

But even there, there's still something missing sent. Well, now there's a company called Aroma Join and they're delivering a new dimension of movie experience scented movies. And you can enjoy this right in your own home as you explore a spooky dungeon in your favorite video game, there's a musty odor that fills your nostrils. Or say, there's a soldier fleeing through a forest. You can smell the pine needles that are crushed beneath his boots, or when the hero leans in for a kiss, you catch a whiff of her perfume. This device is small enough to fit in your living room, and it's easy to operate and maintain.

Hey, speaking of scents, how about the scent of smoke GE has debuted this week. The world's first and only smart indoor smoker brings the taste of the great outdoors indoors. Whether you want a hint of smoke or the full smoke flavor, it's got five adjustable settings to get to your ideal amount, and there are six preset food settings ribs, brisket, chicken wings, salmon and more. It's less than a thousand bucks.

I don't know about you, but I have lousy posture and so I like this new device I found at CES this week. It's from a Turkish company, Kodgem Straight. The device is a triangle. It's a little bit bigger than a quarter. You tape it onto your back, and when you slouch, it vibrates as a reminder for you to straighten up. It gently trains your body to maintain good posture, even when you're sitting down in front of the computer. This can help you reduce back pain, improve your breathing, and boost your confidence, and nobody will notice that you're wearing it.

Hey, you want to brew your own beer? IGulu is showcasing their latest innovation, the F1 machine and all in one home brewing system, you can create everything from craft beers to specialty coffees with just the touch of a button. And it's less than 600 bucks.

And how about this? Do you ever lose stuff? That's always annoying, but it gets from annoying to now downright serious and scary when you lose your dog. Or even worse, your dad who has Alzheimer's and has wandered off. So a Korean company, SMD 21, has made an insole fits in your shoe or their shoe or your dog's collar. It's got a GPS tracking solution. It's specifically designed for family members who need care. And there's another company, Gokudo, that makes smart canes for children who are visually impaired. It has sensors that detect obstacles.

You know, I travel a lot. I bet you do, too. I always bring my laptop along. I bet you do too. But at home, I've got two huge screens in my home office. Really makes it easy to work with multiple windows and lots of different documents and software. But on the road, I've just got my laptop and that screen is really small, so I'm really interested in this new product issued by Zpack. They launched this week the world's first portable monitors. These instantly snap right onto your laptop. In less than 15 seconds, you get two additional screens, triples the amount of visual monitor space you've got. In fact, even more than tripling because these new screens are bigger than the one I have on my laptop. And you can put these new monitors in either landscape or portrait mode. Together they weigh less than a pound. And this device, it's just 550 bucks.

Oh, and yeah, robotics was a big deal at CES. Robots were wandering all over the place. Several of them were climbing stairs. Pretty cool. Oh, and how about this? A watchband for your Apple Watch with this on your wrist, you control the TV remote and other devices just by moving your hand. Pinch your fingers. That's like hitting the enter key. Turn your wrist like you're adjusting a knob, and the volume will go up and down. This is totally cool and so much easier to use than your remote TV. It's an Israeli company called Mudra Band, and it's 350 bucks.

And then there's a new car company called Afeela. They're going to start selling their cars in 2025 next year. This Afeela is a partnership between Sony and Honda, and they debuted their new car here at CES by driving it onto the stage using a PlayStation controller. They use video game technology to power 3D graphics and visuals that fill the ultra-wide dashboard display. You get detailed 3D maps, virtual spaces, and augmented reality views of the world surrounding your car, Sony's TV and movies and gaming products. They'll all be available in the car’s Entertainment Center, so a new car maker coming next year.

Oh, and speaking of cool new cars, you really got to see what Hyundai is doing. They demonstrated a new car that drives sideways. Yeah, all four tires rotate 90 degrees, so the car literally drives sideways. In other words, you don't have to learn how to parallel park. You just put the car next to the parking space and it slides right in. You can also turn just the front tires or the rear tires sideways, so that the car can literally spin 360 degrees. No need to do a k turn anymore. The turning radius is now literally zero. Just some of the really cool tech here at CES in Las Vegas this week. 

Well, we are now at day two of the mainstreaming of bitcoin, all thanks to the finally-SEC approved spot bitcoin ETFs, a journey that began ten years ago. And we're finally here this week. These ETFs began trading yesterday and we are very excited about this. And so we're bringing you a complete series of the new spot bitcoin ETF sponsors and promoters and ETF providers. So I'm very happy to bring onto the program Franklin Templeton brought to us by Roger Bayston. He's the head of digital assets for Franklin Templeton. And David Mann who's the head of product and capital markets. Gentlemen, thanks for joining me here on the podcast.

Roger Bayston: Thanks, Ric. Great to be with you.

Ric Edelman: So this is really, really exciting. We've been waiting literally a decade for this was when the very first application was filed with the SEC. They got rejected every year. And finally all of the SEC's objections were overcome. And here we are. So what I find really interesting about this situation is that we now have 11 ETFs brought onto the market all at the same time, 11 different companies sponsoring these ETFs. Some of these companies, let's admit it, this is their first foray into crypto. That isn't the case with Franklin Templeton. So Roger, give us some background on Franklin Templeton's journey through digital assets, because it's a little bit different than most ETF providers. 

Roger Bayston: Really, our journey began many years ago when we started to think about how these public blockchain database networks might be able to be used in our business how we might integrate that into the asset management business. Distributed ledger technologies being another word. Ledgers are everywhere inside of asset management and capital markets. And so we thought we needed to be attentive to that. So down that path we became a user first, not really an investor. And that was a unique perspective for us because as we began to think and recognize the utility again of these public blockchain networks, it became apparent to us through our usage that there would be lots of uses in the overall economy for these utility programable database pipes. And as a result of that, we quickly discerned that we want to not just figure out how to use it inside of our business but wrap advice around it as well. And so we've been on several different journeys, but where we've arrived now, these days with the idea that investors could invest in the EZBC Franklin Templeton spot bitcoin offering, that journey comes to fruition. And we come to turn the page on a new chapter. 

Ric Edelman: I want to highlight that easy b c that is the ticker symbol for your new spot bitcoin ETF. Talk about making it easy. EZBC. That's really clever. Why though crypto and why now? I mean, let's face it, Franklin Templeton is 75 years old. You're managing $1.3 trillion. You've got offices all around the world. Why crypto and why now? 

Roger Bayston: Well, again, we're going to keep using language that we think people who are coming into the space are going to be accustomed to blockchain database networks. Networks is an understanding that all investors have. We think these programable blockchain database networks have features that could be the utility pipes that help power the data economy. So when you combine these technologies with other technologies like AI, we think these new opportunities really present themselves now. And the question really can be flipped, not why now, but why not now. 

Ric Edelman: You know, that's a really interesting point of view. I remember five years ago. Investment advisers were really pressed to answer the question, why are you recommending bitcoin? And today that question has been flipped on its head. Why aren't you recommending bitcoin. And so yeah, that's you know, when people ask why now you're really good comment. Why not really makes a lot of sense. So what do you think this means Roger. For the approval that is what does it mean for Franklin Templeton particularly. And what do you think it means for the digital asset community as a whole? 

Roger Bayston: Well the question, I think it's really confirmation that Wisdom and Franklin Templeton has really been in business offering advice for 75 years now. We're celebrating our 75th anniversary. Persistence, right. We're inventing something here, along with the issuers who are coming to market right now. Yes, bitcoin has been available through other means, but new pipes bringing things together, the persistence that it takes to be an inventor is really important for us. And then finally, really, our journey has been one of collaboration with regulators. So bringing together those three things, you know, wisdom, persistence, collaboration, you know, and delivering service by listening to our customers, listening to advisors and what they're wanting. I think that's really confirmation that our path has been something that we can continue to move forward with as innovation and the overall business continues to change in the years ahead. 

Ric Edelman: Yeah. I think you said something there really important, collaboration with regulators. That's been the big beef that Gary Gensler and the SEC has had for years about crypto is that, you know, this industry largely grew up outside of the regulatory arena. It wasn't a product invented by Wall Street. There was no compliance. There was no due diligence, there was no research. And the SEC, frankly, has been making it really clear that they're fed up with the frauds and abuses that have existed in the crypto world. Now that we have companies like Franklin Templeton getting involved, which are highly reputable, proven organizations run by mature, responsible professionals. This is what I think gave the SEC a lot of confidence in finally saying yes to the allowance of these ETFs to come onto the marketplace. And so I think that that represents a huge milestone in the evolution and development of the crypto community and crypto technology and can give investors a lot of confidence knowing that there are some really serious people engaged and behind this now. And that confidence goes a long way to allowing people to get engaged. Whereas before I think there were a lot of folks interested but sitting on the sidelines now. 

Roger Bayston: Yeah, I agree with all of that. We think it's a, again, a new page, a new chapter, the digital assets and these public blockchain networks and the, the value that they will create. Therefore the tokens or the cryptocurrencies that represent what that value will be something that investors will begin to weave into their overall asset allocation to help them to meet their long-term objectives. I hear you speak time and time again about how long we're all going to live. And as a result, we need really good investment opportunities to match those expanded longevity that we're going to be facing. 

Ric Edelman: Yeah, that's been one of my overriding themes, as you know, is that we're likely, you know, going to live to age 100 or beyond. And that means your money's got to last as long as you do. So wealth creation tools are, frankly, more important than ever. And that's why I'm so excited about blockchain and digital asset technology, because I think it's one of the best wealth building opportunities of the of the decade and probably the century. David, let me bring you into the conversation here. Roger's given us a really good foundation on why crypto, why now and why Franklin Templeton is engaged in this. But let's bring it down a little bit from the 20,000-foot level into the practical application for advisors and investors. Why should somebody buy bitcoin through an ETF? What's the point of that? 

David Mann: Sure. So you know ETFs. You know there's no doubt if you just buy any way to keep score flows. Investors have loved liquid transparent ways to all sorts of asset classes. So whether it's. Stocks, bonds, commodities, etc. there's been a real appetite for using ETFs, for building blocks for lots of different exposures. And I and I think the part that is. Maybe, I don't know. Underappreciated is really the innovation of ETFs through the years. You know now that it's a mature multi-trillion-dollar industry probably. Going back and says, hey, why don't we give exposure to these asset classes in a liquid form is probably a little bit underappreciated. And I know specifically with bitcoin that the digital gold analogy is a little bit apropos because at the time, getting exposure to physical gold was kind of a big deal. You know, thinking about, okay, you got bars and they're heavy and their storage and all of a sudden you could go get that exposure. The exact exposure in ETF form for often, you know, 20, 25 bucks a share in your brokerage account was a really interesting innovation. So I think our hope is that with EZBC, that it'll follow the same with bitcoin. 

Ric Edelman: Well, let's talk a little bit more specifically about the spot bitcoin ETF structure and Franklin Templeton's product particularly. So give us some details on that. 

David Mann: Yeah sure. So as Roger alluded there was a lot of conversation with the regulators in terms of making sure that all the bits and pieces of what investors have come to expect with ETFs would apply here. So lots of discussion about the creation redemption process and making sure that there was multiple authorized participants, multiple bitcoin trading counterparties to ensure a well-functioning of the plumbing as we like to talk about, working with market makers. This is just now another part of their ETF liquidity desk in terms of being able to understand the price of the bitcoin, understand how that translates to the price of the ETF and make a two-sided market on exchange accordingly. So certainly there was some new parts. Instead of having a stock custodian or a gold custodian, now we had to have a bitcoin custodian. So making sure the connectivity with our usual ETF partners were working properly, building something new was exciting, as Roger alluded to earlier. But I think we've got the things that investors have come to expect from ETFs will apply here as well. 

Ric Edelman: And you've just explained, you know, the sausage making, you know, the back-office elements that this is why it took so long to get SEC approval of these products. Because it's a complicated thing. And it took quite a lot of effort to get it all operating correctly so that the investor experience will be smooth and seamless but bring it now to the forefront. Okay, let's move out of the kitchen. Let's come out into the dining room where the customers are sitting. You know, the most obvious question of all, the most important for investors, you know, there are 11 different providers, all of whom launched yesterday. This is day two of the availability of your ETF and that of the other ten. Why should an investor, why should an advisor choose your ETF? Easy-bake over one of the other new spot bitcoin ETFs. 

David Mann: Sure. So I think what's I think what's been exciting, and I think one of the reasons investors are going to trust Franklin Templeton to get their bitcoin exposure with EZBC is I like to I like to almost use the Venn diagram analogy where you've got this digital expertise at Franklin Templeton that Roger's been working on for years. So over here you've got his circle with the research and the views and the experience of all sorts of digital crypto assets in terms of managing portfolios and thinking about the future and how this fits in. So you've got his circle, and then over here you've got the David ETF circle where we have a nice growing ETF business. And right now that Venn diagrams got this bitcoin ETF right in the middle. So we think leveraging the expertise that we've been doing for quite some time and the growth that we've seen with our ETF business, coupled with the trusted experience with Roger and team, brings together with the digital assets, we really in a in a low-cost form, we really think that's going to be a great benefit for investors to get their bitcoin exposure with EZBC. 

Ric Edelman: Yeah. I'll add to that. One of the things that I'm most excited about this is not just that Franklin Templeton has years of experience in the blockchain and digital asset space, which frankly, some of the new ETF providers don't have. But Franklin Templeton is also one of the oldest and largest asset managers in the world, with 1.3 trillion in assets with. And you have significant expertise in the equity markets and the bond markets. And I think that that trading knowledge and experience, the operational capabilities that Franklin Templeton has, the relationships you already have in place with investment advisors as well as individual consumers really makes it a one-stop-shop kind of environment. And when people are looking for a trusted partner in, frankly, an asset class that's relatively new and has a checkered past from a fraud perspective, this is a level of comfort and confidence that not every ETF provider, I think, can necessarily bring to the table as effectively as Franklin Templeton. So I think that you're going to gain traction because of the brand you bring and the legitimacy that is inherent to this space and the array of product offerings that you make available. I think investors and investment advisors are going to find that of value. 

David Mann: We concur. 

Roger Bayston: Yeah, very well said, Ric. You know, Franklin Templeton has been a brand of trust, and now we're extending that that brand of trust into innovative opportunities such as these blockchain networks represented here by bitcoin. And so we're excited about delivering those services in the same way that we have in a place of trust for our advisors and other investors for years and years now. 

Ric Edelman: And I think, you know, reflecting the fact that you're taking something complicated and making it accessible and easy and a little bit downright fun. Is your ticker symbol EZBC, EZBC, you know, and, it's really terrific. “Easy bitcoin”. So, I think that kind of subtly makes a big statement. We've been talking with Roger Bastien and David Mann of Franklin Templeton. You can learn more about EZBC, as well as all the other offerings from Franklin Templeton at Franklin Templeton.com, or ask your financial advisor about it. And we've got a link in the show notes making it easy for you to reach them. Roger, David, thanks so much for joining us on the show today. 

Roger Bayston: Great to see you, Ric. 

David Mann: Yeah. Thanks again Ric. 

Ric Edelman: These new spot bitcoin ETFs are really exciting, the most exciting new product innovation and investment management in years, and the biggest news for crypto in a decade. You need to learn what all this stuff is and what it all means. And I've created a toolkit to help you get the content and education you need. And included in that is a simple, easy, one page chart that easily and quickly compares all the different ETFs against each other so you can see how they differ. That plus videos, white papers, an infographic, plus the full schedule of our webinars and podcasts all on these new spot bitcoin ETFs. The link to all of this content for free is in the show notes today, along with links to all of the products I talked about from CES. Check it all out. Have a great weekend. I'll see you Monday. 

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