The U.S. may be poised to flip a switch on stablecoins — cryptocurrencies tied to the value of traditional currencies like the dollar. PayPal introduced its own stablecoin in 2024, with plans to extend access to 20 million small- and mid-size merchants this year.

Now, the proposed GENIUS Act — currently under congressional review — could create guardrails for stablecoins, from consumer protections to federal oversight. The spotlight comes as Bitcoin* — the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization — has hit fresh highs, trading above $123,000.

Business and regulatory momentum may help build public trust. One in four Americans (26%) have already explored using crypto in place of cash, according to Empower research.

— The Editors 

💰 IPO ignition: Design platform Figma is heading to the New York Stock Exchange after being valued at $12.5 billion* in a tender offer last year. IPO activity surged 55% year-over-year in Q1 2025, raising nearly $9 billion.

🏃 Roth reset: Starting in 2026, individuals ages 50 and over earning $145,000 or more annually will need to make any catch-up contributions to Roth accounts, while those earning under the yearly limit can still catch up on a pre-tax basis in traditional plans. Read more on The Currency^TM.

✨ AI epicenter: AI startups attracted 64%* of all U.S. venture capital funding during the first half of 2025. AI brands are making headlines: CoreWeave signed a $9 billion* all-stock acquisition of data center infrastructure provider Core Scientific.

🎁 Giving boost: Charitable donations reached $592.5 billion* in 2024 — the first inflation-beating year since 2021. Stock market gains and rising incomes drove the surge, with individual giving making up two-thirds of the total. Explore tax-smart donation strategies.

Autonomy unlocked

Robotaxis are moving from test drives to real-world roads. Tesla began limited autonomous service in Austin, Texas, in late June, charging just $4.20 per ride. Industry leader Waymo is now logging 250,000 paid rides weekly across the West — and just made a turn in Atlanta, where Uber riders can choose between human drivers or self-driving cars.

With the market projected to reach $10 billion in revenue in 2030, robotaxis could reshape urban mobility. See where robotaxis are heading next.

‘Summerween’ comeback  

Halloween is haunting summer shelves. “Augtober” has arrived, with candy and décor already popping up in some Walmart* locations. Halloween spending was projected to reach $11.6 billion last year and 47% of consumers had already stocked up for the holiday before October.

Spooky celebrations can put people in high spirits: Half of Americans (51%) say financial happiness is being able to enjoy the finer things in life, according to Empower research.

Labor flips back

The Labor Department revised its spring data to add 16,000 jobs to April and May, and June brought in another 147,000. State governments and healthcare led the charge, nudging the unemployment rate down to 4.1%. 

Economists and investors are keeping an eye on labor trends, especially for any signs that could reignite stagflation talk.

Trading schoolwork for summer work has long been a teen tradition — and this year, job searches are spiking. In early May, interest in summer gigs hit a recent high on the Indeed job platform. Small businesses may be meeting that demand: Payroll processor Gusto reports that among companies using its platform, 19% of new hires in May were teens ages 15 to 19.