By PYMNTS | July 24, 2026 In a significant display of industry solidarity, a powerful coalition of 25 major technology organizations—including heavyweights Microsoft, Meta, and Nvidia—has issued a formal plea to U.S. policymakers. The group is urging the government to exercise restraint, cautioning against "premature restrictions" on open-weight artificial intelligence models and "sweeping regulations" regarding…
In the hyper-competitive arena of the global economy, Research and Development (R&D) stands as the primary engine of long-term productivity and growth. To capture this growth, governments worldwide increasingly utilize expenditure-based tax incentives to lower the effective cost of innovation for corporations. However, a new analysis of 2025 data reveals a stark divergence in strategy,…
For decades, the paper check has been the "old reliable" of the corporate finance world. It is familiar, tangible, and deeply entrenched in the administrative bedrock of legacy enterprises. However, as the digital economy accelerates, finance leaders are beginning to realize that the check is no longer a neutral utility. Instead, it has become a…
By PYMNTS | July 23, 2026 In an era of economic uncertainty, online lender Enova International has emerged as a bellwether for the resilience of the modern U.S. economy. According to its second-quarter earnings report released on Thursday, July 23, 2026, the company has achieved record-breaking financial milestones, driven by a surge in originations and…
By PYMNTS | July 23, 2026 In a decisive move to curb the growing influence of artificial intelligence on retail economics, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed the "Fair Price Protection Act" into law this Thursday. The legislation represents a significant milestone in the national debate over consumer privacy, effectively banning the practice of “surveillance…
In the modern digital economy, the infrastructure connecting a small-town B&B owner in the French Alps to a global traveler is a marvel of specialization. It relies on a complex, layered "stack" of digital services—search engines, targeted advertising platforms, and online travel agencies (OTAs)—that allow small businesses to compete on a global stage. However, a…
By PYMNTS | July 23, 2026 The United States labor market has reached a milestone not seen in over half a century. According to the latest data released Thursday (July 23, 2026) by the Department of Labor (DOL), initial jobless claims plummeted to 187,000 for the week ending July 18. This figure represents the lowest…
By PYMNTS | July 23, 2026 The rapidly expanding creator economy is undergoing a structural transformation. What began as a landscape of independent hobbyists and influencers has matured into a sophisticated, global ecosystem of small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Recognizing that traditional banking infrastructure often fails to accommodate the unique, multi-stream revenue models of these digital entrepreneurs,…
By PYMNTS July 22, 2026 Stripe, the global financial infrastructure giant, is aggressively repositioning itself to become the central nervous system of the artificial intelligence (AI) economy. Fresh off a fiscal year that saw its revenue climb by a third to $6.8 billion, the company is leveraging its unique position at the intersection of high-growth…
By PYMNTS | July 22, 2026 In a move that signals a seismic shift in the global venture capital landscape and the trajectory of artificial intelligence, Travis Kalanick, the co-founder and former CEO of Uber, has officially unveiled his latest venture: Atoms. The company, which has emerged from stealth mode with a staggering $1.7 billion…
