Connected Economy

The innovations in technology, connected devices, software, payments and cellular technology make it possible for people and businesses to connect with each other and do business via any device, an in any digital or physical location safely, securely, and in real time. This integration of the digital and physical worlds will transform the economy across the ten pillars that today represent its key cornerstones – pillars that are already experiencing the impact of disruptive innovation as new blended, digital-first experience-driven ecosystems are now taking shape.

40 Finance and Tech Giants Unite to Standardize Agentic Payments

40 Finance and Tech Giants Unite to Standardize Agentic Payments
40 Finance and Tech Giants Unite to Standardize Agentic Payments
July 15, 2026  |  News

The x402 protocol, an open standard designed to support agentic payments, has a new open-governance body that includes 40 organizations. The launch of the x402 Foundation was...

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Banks Face a Faster Cyber Clock as Gold Eagle Goes Live
Banks Face a Faster Cyber Clock as Gold Eagle Goes Live
July 15, 2026  |  Cybersecurity

The federal government’s artificial intelligence (AI) security initiative now has a name and a launch date. The White House launched Gold Eagle on Tuesday (July...

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Wall Street Giants Mobilize Tokenized Assets in DTCC Live Production Launch
Wall Street Giants Mobilize Tokenized Assets in DTCC Live Production Launch
July 15, 2026  |  Blockchain

Post-trade market infrastructure company DTCC began advancing tokenization from concept to live production Wednesday (July 15). In a series of live updates posted on its...

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The Real Bank Earnings Story Was the AI Spending Boom
The Real Bank Earnings Story Was the AI Spending Boom
July 15, 2026  |  Banking

The second quarter produced another round of strong earnings from the nation’s largest banks, and executives spent as much time discussing artificial intelligence, digital delivery...

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OpenAI Plans Portable Smart Speaker With Personality
OpenAI Plans Portable Smart Speaker With Personality
July 14, 2026  |  Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI’s first device will be a portable smart speaker that serves as an artificial intelligence companion, Bloomberg reported Tuesday (July 14), citing unnamed sources. The device,...

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AI Is Becoming the Hotel Industry’s New Manager
AI Is Becoming the Hotel Industry’s New Manager
July 14, 2026  |  Artificial Intelligence

Labor accounts for 51.7% of hotel operating expenses and 32.4% of total revenue at U.S. hotels, according to CBRE Group’s “Trends in the Hotel Industry”...

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Business Applications Jump 24% as AI Lowers Startup Costs
Business Applications Jump 24% as AI Lowers Startup Costs
July 14, 2026  |  Artificial Intelligence

New U.S. business applications hit 5.6 million in 2025 and have risen 24% since ChatGPT launched, Citadel Securities reported in a July research note, citing...

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JPMorgan Wants Employees to Go Easy on AI Usage
JPMorgan Wants Employees to Go Easy on AI Usage
July 14, 2026  |  Artificial Intelligence

JPMorgan Chase says it is advising its workers to think twice about their artificial intelligence (AI) usage. This effort by the country’s largest bank, addressed...

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