Why I’m learning C++ in 2026 (Instead of Rust)

Why am I going all-in on C++ when everyone else is hyping up Rust, Zig, and AI? In this video, I explain my career pivot into Quantitative Finance and High-Frequency Trading (HFT), and why modern C++ is still the absolute king of ultra-low latency systems. We break down the reality of microsecond execution times, why modern C++ (std::sort) can actually outperform pure C (qsort), and the three specific reasons why Rust's borrow checker and memory models fall short for core HFT matching engines. Finally, we look at the massive career advantage of mastering C++ as the engineers who built the world's core financial infrastructure begin to retire. This channel will be my public portfolio as I build a high-performance algorithmic matching exchange from scratch, tackle LeetCode Hard problems, and document the brutal Quant Developer interview grind. Subscribe to follow the journey. ⏱️ Timestamps: 0:00 - The 2026 Tech Landscape (Rust vs C++) 0:23 - My background & pivoting to Quant Finance 0:50 - Milliseconds vs. Microseconds in HFT 1:42 - Why not pure C? (qsort vs std::sort) 2:51 - Why not Zig? 3:22 - 3 Reasons C++ still beats Rust in HFT 4:49 - The C++ Career Advantage (The 30-Year Moat) 5:42 - My roadmap & building an exchange from scratch