2017 was a roller coaster year for the global financial markets, as equities surged, alternative assets emerged and geopolitics carried even new implications with President Trump in the White House. For investors, 2017 saw no shortage of opportunities ranging from equities to currencies and all the way up to bitcoin. Many of these trends will remain relevant in the new year, giving investors another opportunity to capitalize. Although 2017 had many lessons, the following six were the most compelling ones from a financial market perspective.