Displaying items by tag: technology

PayPal announced a new service called “Pay with Crypto,” which will enable businesses to accept over 100 types of cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin and ethereum. The system allows users to pay with popular crypto wallets like Coinbase and MetaMask, with all payments instantly converted into fiat or PayPal’s U.S.-dollar-backed stablecoin, PYUSD. 

Aimed at streamlining cross-border transactions, the service promises lower fees, with a promotional 0.99% transaction rate through July 2026—well below typical credit card processing costs. 

CEO Alex Chriss highlighted that merchants can receive dollars within seconds, bypassing the volatility and technical challenges typically associated with crypto payments. Businesses can begin opting into a beta rollout in the coming weeks, with broader availability expected later this year. 

Finsum: The launch coincides with a major policy shift as the GENIUS Act, the first U.S. crypto legislation, was recently signed into law, solidifying regulatory support for stablecoins and digital assets.

Ruthenium, a rare platinum group metal, has nearly doubled in price over the past year to $800 an ounce, outperforming gold and silver thanks to surging demand from artificial intelligence applications. The metal’s unique hardness and conductivity make it ideal for hard disk drives used in data centers powering AI, where it enables high-density storage through ultrathin coatings. 

Unlike widely traded metals, ruthenium is sourced only as a byproduct of platinum mining, with global output limited to just 30 tons annually—a figure expected to decline further due to underinvestment. Analysts predict a supply deficit next year as demand outpaces dwindling production, intensifying competition for this obscure element. 

Despite being used in tiny quantities, ruthenium’s role in expanding cloud infrastructure is critical, with hard disk sales projected to rise 16% in 2025. 

Finsum: Unless alternative technologies emerge, ruthenium’s strategic value and price are likely to climb even higher.

The U.S. equity market remains a hotspot for high-growth opportunities, particularly within the AI infrastructure sector, where companies like Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI), or Supermicro, are helping shape the next wave of computing. 

Specializing in powerful server and storage systems tailored for AI and high-performance computing (HPC), Supermicro is seeing a surge in demand as enterprises ramp up their investments in AI workloads. Despite a temporary stock slump sparked by a short-seller report and delayed financial filings, an internal review cleared the company of wrongdoing, helping to restore investor confidence. 

Now trading at more than 60% below its peak, Supermicro offers a compelling entry point for investors seeking discounted exposure to cutting-edge AI infrastructure. Its proprietary Data Center Building Block Solutions and liquid cooling technologies give it an edge in energy efficiency and scalability—both crucial in a market increasingly focused on sustainable computing. 

Finsum: The AI era will require a huge amount of infrastructure in order to hold up to the rising demands, investors should consider this cross over. 

Vanguard has introduced a generative AI-powered tool designed to help financial advisors create personalized, compliant client communications more efficiently. The tool generates tailored summaries of Vanguard’s most-read market insights, adjusting for client knowledge level, life stage, and preferred tone. 

It also automatically includes the appropriate disclosures, streamlining the compliance process. Lauren Wilkinson, head of advisor technology, emphasized that this beta-tested tool reflects Vanguard’s broader push to integrate innovative technologies that support both advisors and clients. 

Beyond AI, Vanguard is also exploring cutting-edge fields like spatial computing, quantum technology, and blockchain to enhance investor outcomes and deliver deeper personalization.

Finsum:  AI can enhance advisor effectiveness by enabling more customized and meaningful client interactions.

Monte Carlo simulations have become an essential tool for retirement planning, allowing users to model thousands of financial outcomes based on variables like investment returns, inflation, and life expectancy. Using AI assistant Claude, the author generated a detailed simulation for a hypothetical couple—Joe and Jane Average—without needing programming skills or statistical expertise. 

Claude translated the couple’s retirement goals and financial data into a 5,000-iteration simulation using historical return data and a 60/40 stock-bond allocation, delivering a 95.78% success rate for retirement sustainability. 

The simulation projected a median portfolio of $28.2 million by Jane’s life expectancy, with very low depletion risk even in advanced age. Key strengths of the plan included strong pre-retirement savings, realistic spending goals, a balanced asset mix, and delayed Social Security filing. 

Finsum: Monte Carlo simulation can give you the edge to navigate and model various situations to deliver the best results to your clients.