Move over, stocks — alternative investing apps are here

Have you ever woken up to see the whole stock market in the red only to think it would be nice to have your money where you could see it… or wear it… or drink it?

Well, alternative investing platforms want to help you do just that.

Niche investing apps are democratizing a practice once reserved for elite investors:

• Vinovest lets users invest in bottles of wine and whiskey, offering four investment tiers, starting at $1k.
• At Masterworks, investors have access to multimillion-dollar artworks by famous contemporary artists.
• With Fundrise, users can invest in assets like real estate, venture capital, and private credit.
• AcreTrader offers ownership shares in US farmland with a minimum investment of $10k.

Last week, investing platform Public started letting users invest in Shrek music rights, taking a cut of royalties every time the movie is streamed or aired on TV, or when the music plays at a theme park.

Other investment options on Public’s platform include an Hermes Birkin bag, original art by Banksy, Air Jordan sneakers, and a first-edition Harry Potter book.

As far as returns…

… alternative investments can have a leg up.

Vinovest co-founder Anthony Zhang told The Hustle that wine has seen an average of 11% returns in the last 20 years, while whiskey has been closer to 15%. (Traditional stocks saw ~9.75%.)

Plus, since things like fine art and wine bottles don’t usually correlate with the stock market, they can help diversify a portfolio and mitigate volatility.

Best of all? An app like Vinovest lets you cash out and drink your assets whenever you want. Cheers to that.