Cryptocurrencies have run circles around Wall Street's major stock indexes over the last decade, with popular digital tokens XRP and DOGE leading the charge.
Though adoption rates for payment-focused tokens have climbed, they're still quite modest compared to time-tested transaction methods.
XRP and Dogecoin appear to be prime examples of the financial markets idiom, "buy the rumor, sell the news."
Compared to other asset classes, such as bonds, commodities, and real estate, the stock market has been the top wealth creator over the past century. But over the trailing decade, nothing has come close to rivaling the gains delivered by cryptocurrencies.
Whereas the benchmark S&P 500(SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has roughly tripled over the trailing decade, prominent payment-based digital currencies XRP(CRYPTO: XRP) and Dogecoin(CRYPTO: DOGE) have soared by more than 34,000% and nearly 117,000%, respectively, based on data from YCharts.
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While these popular cryptocurrencies have become staples in the portfolios of digital-asset investors, both Ripple-created XRP and Dogecoin appear primed for a difficult August, and a potentially rough second-half of 2025, for a variety of reasons.
Image source: Getty Images.
XRP's and Dogecoin's adoption rates aren't as impressive as you might think
Aside from the appeal of decentralization (XRP is only partially decentralized since it's the bridge currency developed for Ripple's payment network), one of the primary selling points of cryptocurrencies and their underlying blockchain networks is the ability to facilitate peer-to-peer and/or cross-border transactions faster, safer, and considerably cheaper than existing methods.
XRP, which is the bridge currency used in cross-border transactions for financial institutions, and Dogecoin, which is primarily used for peer-to-peer and merchant transactions, have seen their usage rates grow over time.
As for Dogecoin, it received a boost when Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who's been a longtime Dogecoin enthusiast and small stakeholder, announced his company would accept DOGE for select goods. But outside of Tesla, DOGE token use cases are minimal, with around 2,500 merchants accepting it in 2024, based on data collected by Cryptopolitan.
Although traditional payment methods are costlier and slower, they're still the undisputed top option.
Neither XRP Ledger nor Dogecoin offers unbeatable networks
To build on the first point, neither XRP Ledger nor Dogecoin offers blockchain networks that stand out as unbeatable.
To give credit where credit is due, these blockchain networks are considerably faster and cheaper than the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, or SWIFT, which has been the standard for cross-border transactions for decades. Instead of waiting days for traditional payments to settle, XRP Ledger can validate and settle payments in three to five seconds for a fraction of a penny.
Meanwhile, Dogecoin averages a settlement time of roughly one minute, with most transactions costing in the neighborhood of $0.02.
However, Solana offers the ability to complete international transactions for a fraction of a cent in an average settlement time of 400 milliseconds. Similarly, Stellar, which is more commonly used for peer-to-peer transactions in similar fashion to DOGE, can settle for a fraction of a penny in five seconds or less.
Buy the rumor, sell the news
Another reason to expect XRP and Dogecoin to struggle mightily in August, if not well beyond, is the common financial markets idiom, "buy the rumor, sell the news."
Both tokens had tangible catalysts entering 2025. President Trump's November victory paved the way for the resignation of now-former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler, who was generally skeptical of digital assets and had ongoing litigation against Ripple. With Gensler leaving office on Jan. 20, Trump's inauguration date, it rolled out the red carpet for Ripple's litigation woes to be cleared up.
The problem is that these catalysts are now firmly in the rearview mirror. Elon Musk is no longer part of DOGE, and Gensler left his role more than six months ago. With no clear immediate catalysts for XRP or Dogecoin, it may be time for investors to "sell the news."
Image source: Getty Images.
Crypto is tethered to an exceptionally pricey stock market
Perhaps the most-damning of all reasons XRP and Dogecoin can tumble in August, and possibly for many months thereafter, is the inextricable link between the crypto market and stock market.
When cryptocurrencies were initially conceived, they were prominently viewed as a separate asset class that, in some instances, would act as a hedge against inflation and an alternative to stocks. But as time has passed, digital assets have ebbed and flowed in lockstep with equities.
The good news here is that Wall Street's major stock indexes spend a disproportionate amount of time climbing, rather than falling. Based on data published by Bespoke Investment Group in June 2023, the average S&P 500 bear market since the start of the Great Depression in September 1929 has lasted only 286 calendar days. In comparison, the typical S&P 500 bull market endured for 1,011 calendar days, or approximately 3.5 times as long as the average bear market.
But there's an asterisk that should be placed next to the current S&P 500 bull market. Specifically, this is the third-priciest continuous bull market when back-tested 154 years, based on data from the Shiller price-to-earnings ratio. When valuations become extended to the upside as they are now, it's simply a matter of when, not if, stocks endure a sizable downturn.
If the stock market corrects lower, there's a very high probability XRP and Dogecoin will follow suit at an accelerated pace.
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Sean Williams has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Solana, Tesla, and XRP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Tinder and Bumble face an uphill climb to win back users.
Alicia Windzio/Getty Images
Bumble is gearing up to launch a new version of its friend-making app, Bumble For Friends.
Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said BFF is a "long-term growth" opportunity for the company.
The dating app company also outlined its plan to "return to growth."
Bumble isn't giving up on helping people find and make new friends.
In fact, it's doubling down on Bumble For Friends (BFF) and gearing up to launch a new version of the app in August, the company announced during its second quarter earnings call.
Bumble's CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd, said the BFF app is "one of our most exciting long-term growth opportunities, especially as demand for friendship, real-world connection, and belonging continues to grow."
The new version of the BFF app is built on Geneva, a community-focused social platform Bumble acquired in 2024, as well as Bumble's safety infrastructure, Wolfe Herd said. She added that this version will combine "one-on-one matching and events, with community features to quickly follow, designed to help people build real friendships offline."
Bumble acquired Geneva for about $17 million, according to an 8-K filing from July 2024.
Wolfe Herd said BFF is a "big priority" for Bumble Inc., which is primarily known for its dating app.
"I cannot tell you how excited and how convicted we are in this future," she said. "The organic demand for Bumble For Friends, particularly from Gen Z women and younger millennial women, is extremely exciting."
Friend-making apps have been having a moment, too. Startups like 222, Pie, and Timeleft are trying to corner the in-real-life (IRL) market by setting people up with strangers or connecting them with communities in their city.
"We are a leading friendship app in the space, and frankly, we're the only one in the dating space that has a friend finding feature at scale, so this gives us a real competitive edge," Wolfe Herd said.
Meanwhile, Wolfe Herd got real about Gen Z on Bumble's earnings call.
"I think there's a bit of a misconception that Gen Z is some completely different species that doesn't think about love and connection the same way most of humanity does," she said.
But the qualms Gen Z feels toward dating apps (such as swiping fatigue, feeling judged, fears of rejection, or safety concerns) are "the same issues that everyone has struggled with online love," Wolfe Herd added.
Getting Bumble back on track for 'growth'
Bumble reported a 7.6% year-over-year decline in total revenue, with second-quarter revenue decreasing from $268.6 million in 2024 to $248.2 million in 2025. Total paying users declined 8.7% YoY, the company reported.
"Four months ago, I returned as CEO of Bumble and reset our strategy for quality over quantity across the whole business," Wolfe Herd said. "We've taken decisive actions over the last quarter. We've removed over $100 million from our cost base by streamlining operations, restructuring headcount, and shifting to a more efficient organic marketing engine."
Bumble in June announced plans to lay off 30% of its staff.
The company's changes outlined during Wednesday's earnings call are part of Wolfe Herd's plan to position Bumble for "a return to growth."
Bumble also announced the appointment of Kevin Cook as CFO, who was previously CFO at data software company Cloudera.
"Simply put, Hinge is crushing it," Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff said on the company's earnings call. "Hinge's success should put to rest any doubts about whether the online dating category is out of favor among users."
"If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day," Elon Musk wrote in an X post on Monday.
Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
A key DOGE member was attacked in an attempted carjacking in Washington, DC, police said.
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk spoke out after the assault on Edward Coristine.
Here's what police say happened to the 19-year-old software engineer.
A key member of the Department of Government Efficiency was attacked in an attempted carjacking in Washington, DC, over the weekend, authorities said — and a newly-released police report sheds light on what the staffer said happened.
Elon Musk, the onetime de facto leader of the government agency, and President Donald Trump spoke out after the assault left 19-year-old software engineer Edward Coristine beaten and bloodied.
Musk, in a Tuesday evening post on X that reshared Trump's earlier social media post threatening a federal takeover, said it was time to "federalize DC" as he shared his version of events.
"A few days ago, a gang of about a dozen young men tried to assault a woman in her car at night in DC," Musk wrote. "A @Doge team member saw what was happening, ran to defend her and was severely beaten to the point of concussion, but he saved her."
A few days ago, a gang of about a dozen young men tried to assault a woman in her car at night in DC.
A @Doge team member saw what was happening, ran to defend her and was severely beaten to the point of concussion, but he saved her.
Business Insider obtained a copy of the incident report from the Metropolitan Police Department.
The police report says that around 3 a.m. on Sunday, MPD officers in a cruiser saw a group of about 10 young people surrounding Coristine's car and assaulting him.
The officers quickly intervened, and the suspects started to run, according to the incident report. Police were able to stop two of them — a 15-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl — who they later arrested on a charge of unarmed carjacking.
Coristine told police that the group approached him and a woman, identified in the report as his "significant other," and made a comment about taking the vehicle, the police report said.
"At that point, for her safety, he pushed his significant other" into the vehicle "and turned to deal with the suspects," the police report said, adding that the assailants then began to beat Coristine.
The Metropolitan Police Department said in a press release that the couple was standing next to their vehicle on Swann Street when the suspects first approached, "demanded" the vehicle, and then assaulted Coristine.
The police report says that an iPhone 16 was stolen during the incident.
Coristine was treated at the scene for his injuries by emergency responders, police said.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department told Business Insider that its incident report is accurate and contains no errors.
Musk officially stepped back from his role in the Trump administration, working with DOGE, in May. Coristine still remains part of the federal government.
Coristine, who was once known online as "Big Balls," started working at the Social Security Administration following his DOGE stint. He could not be immediately reached for comment for this story.
"Crime in Washington, D.C., is totally out of control," Trump said in his Tuesday Truth Social post, adding, "The most recent victim was beaten mercilessly by local thugs."
The post included an apparent photo of Coristine showing him bloodied and shirtless, sitting on the ground.
Two 15-year-olds have been charged with unarmed carjacking after allegedly attacking Edward "Big Balls" Coristine, the teenage software engineer and former Neuralink intern who became a prominent figure in the Trump administration's cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency made lots of headlines by rejecting the document that establishes its ability to regulate the greenhouse gases that are warming our climate. While the legal assault on regulations grabbed most of the attention, it was paired with two other actions that targeted other aspects of climate change: the science underlying our current understanding of the dramatic warming the Earth is experiencing, and the renewable energy that represents our best chance of limiting this warming.
Collectively, these actions illuminate the administration's strategy for dealing with a problem that it would prefer to believe doesn't exist, despite our extensive documentation of its reality. They also show how the administration is tailoring its approach to different audiences, including the audience of one who is demanding inaction.
When in doubt, make something up
The simplest thing to understand is an action by the Department of the Interior, which handles permitting for energy projects on federal land—including wind and solar, both onshore and off. That has placed the Interior in an awkward position. Wind and solar are now generally the cheapest ways to generate electricity and are currently in the process of a spectacular boom, with solar now accounting for over 80 percent of the newly installed capacity in the US.
On Tuesday's earnings call for Hinge and Tinder parent Match Group, CEO Spencer Rascoff said that Hinge is an example of what can be achieved with a motivated team and a great product.
"Simply put, Hinge is crushing it," Rascoff said. "Hinge's success should put to rest any doubts about whether the online dating category is out of favor among users."
Match's chief financial officer, Steven Bailey, said that Hinge generated $168 million in revenue in the second quarter, a 25% increase from the same time last year.
The dating app's paying users grew by 18% year over year to 1.7 million, and revenue per paying user grew 6% to nearly $32.
Rascoff added that the company is following Hinge's formula in its turnaround plans for Tinder. The company did not disclose as many numbers for Tinder as it did for Hinge, but said the app's revenue was down 4%, to $461 million.
"Hinge's success gives me pride in Hinge, but also confidence in Tinder," the CEO said. "At Hinge, everything ladders up to one north star: getting users on more great dates."
Rascoff said that Hinge was successful because it keeps "intentionality" at the core of a user's dating experience and was using AI to craft "thoughtful high-quality responses, helping spark better first impressions."
'Numbers game'
In a memo in March, Rascoff, who joined Match as CEO in February, said that Tinder and Hinge users feel that the company is too driven by metrics.
"Too often, our apps have felt like a numbers game rather than a place to build real connections," Rascoff wrote, adding that this needs to change.
"I've heard incredible stories of love," Rascoff said. "But I've also heard frustration from users searching for real, meaningful matches and expecting more from the experience."
Rascoff's overhaul of the platforms follows a broader sentiment shift away from online dating. Swiping fatigue and the rising costs of going on dates are leading many users to ditch apps for outlets that allow in-person connections.
Between May 2023 and the end of 2024, more than half a million users left Tinder, according to a report from the UK-based online behavior research group Ofcom.
That's showing up in dating apps' bottom lines.
Revenue for rival app Bumble decreased 6.5% to $201.8 million in the first quarter of the year. Bumble reports its second-quarter earnings on Wednesday, August 6.
On Tuesday, Match reported $864 million in second-quarter revenue, unchanged from the same time last year. It reported a 5% drop in operating profit to $194 million.
Match's stock rose close to 7% after hours on Tuesday. The company is down 5.5% over the last year.
The US just launched its biggest effort yet to compensate victims of human trafficking, setting up a process to dole out $200 million from seizures related to shutting down the notorious online escorts ad service Backpage.com.
In an announcement on Thursday, the Department of Justice confirmed that "this marks the largest remission process to date to compensate victims of human trafficking."
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti said the effort to redistribute millions of ill-gotten gains "underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to use forfeiture to take the profit out of crime and to compensate victims." It comes after Backpage's "owners and key executives and businesses related to the platform" were found guilty of facilitating crimes including money laundering and "unlawful commercial sex using a facility in interstate or foreign commerce," the DOJ said.
A new Department of Energy report “fundamentally misrepresents” climate research and leaves out key context, multiple scientists cited in the report tell WIRED.
The electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) market is crowded, but that doesn't mean it's a winner-takes-all scenario. Different companies have different business models with varying risks and rewards, and Joby Aviation(NYSE: JOBY) is arguably the one with the most reward and also one that's reducing its risk the most in 2025. Is it enough to make it a stock that could set investors up for life? Here's the lowdown.
What makes Joby Aviation different
It's always interesting to compare competitors across a growth industry, and doing so with Joby's peer Archer Aviation(NYSE: ACHR) makes for a fascinating comparison. The first conclusion is that they have significantly different models. The second is that the nature of their models allows for more than enough room for both in the market, and the third is that Joby Aviation is making real progress in de-risking the elements of its business that are subject to greater market uncertainty.
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In a nutshell, you can think of Joby Aviation as a "go it alone" player in the industry, backed by a heavyweight manufacturing partner in Toyota, as well as other investors such as Uber and Delta Air Lines. Its business model is different from Archer's and the rest of the industry in two key ways:
Joby Aviation doesn't plan to sell its aircraft and prefers to develop much of its technology in-house, having its own powertrain and electronics manufacturing facility in California.
As quoted from its Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, Joby plans to "own and operate our aircraft ourselves, building a vertically integrated transportation company that will deliver transportation services to customers."
Both points are crucial to understanding the investment case.
Joby's in-house development
Archer, along with other eVTOL companies such as Germany's Lilium and the U.K.'s Vertical Aerospace, makes no secret of the fact that it has leading aerospace and automotive companies as partners in providing solutions. The advantage of heavy integration with established partners in developing technology is a simplified and less risky process, which, theoretically, leads to earlier certification.
Image source: Getty Images.
For example, Archer partners with Honeywell for actuators and climate systems, Hexcel for advanced composite materials, Safran for avionics, and Stellantis (also a key investor). Honeywell is a key strategic technology partner of Vertical Aerospace and partners with European aerospace companies GKN and Leonardo.
Lilium partners with GE Aerospace in flight data management and Honeywell (also an investor) for flight control, avionics, and propulsion unit sensors.
As such, Joby's more "go it alone" approach could be deemed more risky. However, it has received significant investment (up to $894 million) from a manufacturing heavyweight, Toyota. Moreover, the Japanese giant is assisting in improving Joby's manufacturing processes and optimizing design.
A vertically integrated transportation company
Here again, Joby is different. It doesn't want to sell its aircraft; instead, it wants to handle the commercialization of transportation services itself. Again, this is a more risky business model, as it implies commercial business expertise in addition to research & development and manufacturing expertise. It's somewhat akin to Boeing or Airbus deciding to operate an airline.
On the other hand, there's a reason why Uber has invested $125 million in Joby so far: the obvious potential to integrate their services. Similarly, Delta Air Lines is investing up to $200 million in Joby to transport passengers to airports. With Delta increasingly focusing on premium travelers and looking to offer experiences that engender loyalty, the Joby tie-in is a significant plus.
Image source: Joby Aviation.
Can Joby Aviation be a life-changing investment?
Given the current trends in the global economy, whereby technology is enabling fundamental shifts in how industrial and transportation companies operate (think Tesla selling direct or Uber not needing to own cars), Joby's business model makes perfect sense and has the potential to create more value for shareholders over the long term.
Meanwhile, while its peers are working with leading aerospace companies, Toyota is a formidable manufacturing entity and partner, and the Toyota Production System is the precursor to all the lean manufacturing practices successfully implemented by GE Aerospace and many others.
There are no guarantees in nascent technology fields such as eVTOL, and diversification is key when investing in growth stocks. Still, Joby Aviation is a strong candidate for an investment that could set you up for life.
Should you invest $1,000 in Joby Aviation right now?
Before you buy stock in Joby Aviation, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Joby Aviation wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
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Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends Delta Air Lines, GE Aerospace, Hexcel, and Stellantis. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
GE Aerospace(NYSE: GE) stock trades up more than 60% year to date, and it's understandable if investors are starting to think it might be overvalued. However, the company's second-quarter earnings just revealed something that strengthens the investment thesis for long-term investors.
Improving long-run profit potential
Aerospace companies are typically not judged on near-term earnings, but rather on their potential for a long-term stream of recurring revenue from higher-margin services. In this case, it's GE's commercial aerospace engines.
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The typical model in the industry is that engines are initially sold at a loss, which reflects the long-term development costs as well as production costs, known as the negative engine margin. However, as they can be run for over 40 years, they generate a lucrative stream of aftermarket revenue when they periodically require "shop visits" for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO).
It leads to an odd dynamic where GE Aerospace wants to deliver more engines for long-term profitability, but it will hurt earnings in the near term. The key is to deliver new engines, and particularly the LEAP engine (used on the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320neo family).
As you can see below, after a challenging 2024, GE is on track for 15% to 20% growth in deliveries in 2025 -- the chart shows the midpoint of that range.
Data source: GE Aerospace. Chart by author.
Digging into the details, the second quarter marked a dramatic improvement, as LEAP engine deliveries increased by 38% year over year to 410 units , following a 13% decline in the first quarter to 319 units. This increase puts GE back on track for its full-year guidance.
Where next for GE Aerospace?
While the engine delivery growth will hold back near-term profits, it will drive long-term earnings and cash flow. This is a good sign that GE is overcoming the supply chain issues that negatively impacted deliveries in 2024.
Should you invest $1,000 in GE Aerospace right now?
Before you buy stock in GE Aerospace, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and GE Aerospace wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,063,471!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
Index Ventures partner Jahanvi Sardana has a reminder for all those founders worried about finding TAM for their product or service: many startups have emerged from markets that, at the time, were essentially nonexistent.
Google DeepMind's Gemini AI won a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad by solving complex math problems using natural language, marking a breakthrough in AI reasoning and human-level performance.Read More
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