Today’s topics

• Coinbase launches COIN50

• Trump to save TikTok from U.S. ban

• NYC says goodbye to the broker fee

• Waymo rolls out robotaxi to all of LA

• NASA's $11.5M push for green skies

  and more…

Wall Street stumbled Thursday as Fed Chair Jerome Powell hinted the robust U.S. economy might hold off on rate cuts a little longer. The Dow dipped 207.33 points (0.47%) to 43,750.86, while the S&P 500 slid 0.6% to 5,949.17, and the Nasdaq shed 0.64% to close at 19,107.65.

The stock market is about to achieve something rarely seen. The S&P 500 is on track for a historic achievement: two straight years of gains above 20%. With a 26% rise so far this year following a 24% jump in 2023, the index is heading toward a rare milestone. If it finishes the year above 20% again, it will be only the third time in a century this has happened, according to Deutsche Bank.

Bitcoin above $90K as Trump’s crypto era begins. The crypto industry is shaking as President-elect Donald Trump promises to be the “crypto president.” With Bitcoin hitting above $90,000, anticipation of pro-crypto policies is at an all-time high. Quick wins may come through crypto-friendly regulators, but larger moves, like a full regulatory framework, could take time. Some analysts now see Bitcoin reaching $100,000 amid this policy optimism.

Coinbase launches COIN50: your new crypto market tracker. Coinbase just launched the Coinbase 50 Index (COIN50), tracking the top 50 digital assets on its exchange. COIN50 helps traders follow market trends and see how the crypto economy is performing. Eligible traders can also trade COIN50 futures with up to 20x leverage on Coinbase International and Coinbase Advanced.

Bhutan’s Bitcoin holdings surpass $1 billion. Bhutan, known for its excellent happiness index, is now cashing in big on Bitcoin. The Himalayan kingdom’s crypto stash has climbed to over $1 billion. Bhutan’s been in the crypto game for years, investing millions and teaming up with Bitcoin miners. In 2023, they even put 5% of their GDP into mining, doubling down on their Bitcoin ambitions.

Dogecoin now worth more than Ford and Delta. Dogecoin’s market cap has surged past big brands like Ford, Delta, and General Mills, hitting around $60 billion. The meme coin’s rise follows President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE). Dogecoin was trading at 40 cents Wednesday, up from 17 cents just a week ago.

Trump to save TikTok from U.S. ban. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to step in to prevent a U.S. ban on TikTok, staying true to his campaign vow to protect the popular app. TikTok has until January to secure a new owner outside of China or face being blocked from U.S. users under a bipartisan law passed in April. Allies say Trump’s move aims to keep the app safe.

Meet Lynx: The Robot That Rolls and Jumps

Chinese robotics company Deep Robotics has introduced Lynx, a powerful four-legged robot built for extreme terrain. Equipped with wheels instead of feet, this bot takes on rough ground, jumps, climbs, and even back-flips.

Waymo rolls out robotaxi service to all of LA. Waymo has opened its self-driving taxi service to everyone in Los Angeles, removing its waitlist and marking its largest rollout so far. Starting Tuesday, anyone across 80 square miles of LA County can use the Waymo One app to book a ride in a driverless car. With a $5.6 billion cash boost in October, Waymo’s speeding up its robotaxi rollout across the U.S.

Mass migration: 1 million users ditch X for Bluesky post-election. Bluesky, the social platform backed by ex-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, saw a major boost after the U.S. election, adding 1 million new users as people seek alternatives to X. With total users now at 15 million, Bluesky offers familiar features like chronological feeds, direct messaging, and curated “starter packs” for new users. Despite Bluesky’s growth, X claimed it “dominated the global conversation on the U.S. election,” with a 15.5% rise in new users and a record 942 million posts on Election Day.

Louis Vuitton Turns NYC Store into Stack of Luggage

Louis Vuitton has transformed its Manhattan store into a massive stack of luggage as it prepares to demolish the 20-story building and build a larger flagship.

NYC says goodbye to the broker fee. New York City’s broker fee is officially over. A City Council bill just passed, blocking landlords from charging tenants the broker fee their own agents charge them. After years of pushback from the real estate industry, renters can finally keep that extra cash in their pockets.

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Neom’s CEO out as Saudi mega-city hits reset. Neom’s CEO, Nadhmi al-Nasr, is out after six years leading Saudi Arabia’s massive desert city project. The ambitious plans, including "The Line" — a 106-mile mirrored structure meant to house 1.5 million — have been scaled back. Neom says the new leadership will keep things agile and efficient as the project evolves.

NASA's $11.5M push for green skies. NASA is investing $11.5 million in cutting-edge concepts to make air travel more sustainable. Through the AACES program, these funds aim to kickstart innovations that could eventually reduce the airline industry’s carbon footprint. It’s a long way from turning concepts into actual planes, but NASA hopes this funding will help bring eco-friendly tech from the lab to the skies.

NASA’s Orion capsule is in high-altitude testing as it preps for Artemis 2’s 2025 moon journey. The crew includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover (set to be the first Black astronaut beyond Earth’s orbit), Christina Koch (the first woman), and Canadian Jeremy Hansen (the first non-American).