Wealth management platform FNZ has launched FNZ Advisor AI, a generative AI solution embedded directly into FNZ’s market leading wealth management platform. The solution will help financial advisors enhance productivity, deliver more personalized advice and serve more clients at scale. FNZ Advisor AI integrates intelligent automation and AI-driven efficiencies directly into FNZ’s market leading platform, placing powerful capabilities right at an advisor’s fingertips. With more than 650 financial institution partners, over 26 million end investors and close to $2 trillion in assets on platform, FNZ provides access to one of the largest wealth management data sets in the world. This enables FNZ Advisor AI to support smarter, faster decision-making by generating real-time insights based on client and portfolio data. Advisors can proactively identify opportunities, flag risks and tailor their recommendations across their full book of business, ultimately driving better client outcomes. Advisor AI also automates the entire client meeting lifecycle. Advisors can now prepare for meetings using personalized insights, access relevant content during client meetings, and use Advisor AI to transcribe and analyze the discussions afterwards. The advanced solution will also highlight key points that require follow-up and guide advisors on the most relevant next conversations to have with each client. The time spent on repetitive administrative tasks is significantly reduced, freeing up advisors to spend more time with clients and focus on delivering high-quality, personalized advice.
Local small-scale investors revive vacant homes, adding over 30,000 affordable units in 2025, with renovated properties priced 35% to 80% below new builds across key markets.
Local investors have officially surpassed builders in adding new housing supply in many markets, according to a new report from New Western. In 2025, investors have brought 30,852 renovated single-family homes back to market in New Western coverage areas — far exceeding the 18,973 new builds sold this year. Kurt Carlton, co-founder and president of New Western, told the imbalance is striking. “There’s a huge need for affordable housing, and the builders can’t supply it, but we have 15 million vacant homes,” he said. “They’re highly educated, corporate refugees that have left high incomes, looking for something more autonomous, and they’re taking those management skills, rehabbing these houses and bringing them back to the market. Some are making income beyond what they were seeing in the corporate sector. Institutional investors accounted for only 1.93% of all home purchases in Q1 2025 and just 6.6% of investor purchases, down 62% from their 2021 peak. Most operate close to home — with 68% investing within 30 miles of where they live. About 78% plan to purchase just one to five properties in the next year. Carlton argued that policymakers don’t yet grasp the role these small investors play. The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act would create a federal tax credit to build and rehabilitate affordable homes for urban, suburban, rural and tribal communities. More than 70% of revitalized homes are purchased off-market — never showing up in MLS data, according to the report. Carlton said the omission distorts the picture. There’s a million that are off-market. These are generally not habitable. It’s the type of house that a local real estate investor really needs to buy and revive.” Revitalized homes typically re-enter the market at significantly lower price points than both existing homes and new construction. The report found the average existing home sale price was 54% higher than the average revitalized home — and the median existing home price was 17% higher. Compared to new builds, revitalized homes are often 35% to 80% less expensive. “It’s really challenging for builders to supply affordable inventory in the areas that need it,” Carlton said.
JPMorgan says ETF and treasury demand propel Ether as funds draw near‑bitcoin July inflows; prospects of SEC‑permitted staking of spot ETF will unlock mainstream yield access
Ether (ETH) has outperformed bitcoin (BTC) over the past month, buoyed by strong inflows into spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and growing corporate treasury allocations, Wall Street bank JPMorgan (JPM) said in a report. The move comes in the wake of U.S. stablecoin legislation (the GENIUS Act) and ahead of an anticipated vote on a broader crypto market structure bill by the end of September, the report said. In July, spot ether ETFs saw record inflows of $5.4 billion, nearly matching bitcoin ETF inflows over the same period. While bitcoin ETFs have posted modest outflows in August, ether funds continue to attract capital, JPMorgan noted. The bank’s analysts pointed to four main factors behind ether’s recent strength. Investors are betting the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will eventually permit staking for spot ether ETFs, which would turn them into yield-generating products while lowering technical barriers for participation. Corporate demand is also rising, the analysts noted, with about 10 publicly traded firms now holding ether equal to a total of 2.3% of the circulating supply. Some of these companies may seek additional income through staking or decentralized finance (DeFi) strategies. JPMorgan suggested ether holdings in both ETFs and corporate treasuries could rise further, pointing to bitcoin’s higher share of circulating supply locked up across both categories as a benchmark.
AI-powered AI “sandboxes” let advisors pre‑test client reactions with synthetic demographics, agentic AI, and compliance‑ready guardrails before campaigns or pricing go live
The emerging world of AI-powered simulation sandboxes could provide an opportunity test how a client would react to a message before it’s even sent. With AI simulation sandboxes, which EY Consulting’s Sameer Munshi, head of behavioral science and simulation, compared to crystal balls, advisors can “recreate” any demographic in the world via synthetic data and agentic AI. “It’s recreating the parameters of a human,” he said. “It’s decoding human behavior based on how you describe it.” Once that simulation is set up, Munshi said advisors can interact with these “people” in a qualitative conversation, posing targeted questions in order to test what messaging — or even a new price point — resonates with a particular client population. The immediate benefits of the AI simulation sandbox are obvious, said Munshi. “The power of this technology is understanding what investors or consumers actually want, even if it’s not a perfect correlation to what exists today from a research perspective,” he said. “The fact that you can get it in days instead of months is going to completely change how we think about research.” Compliance is an important use case for AI-powered simulation environments, said William Trout, director of securities and investments at technology data firm Datos Insights. In terms of investment suitability, simulations could test portfolio recommendations against diverse client profiles, ensuring recommendations truly serve client interests rather than advisor compensation structures, he said. The next step for firms considering adoption of these sandboxes is to begin with a narrow pilot program that uses nonsensitive data. For example, an advisory team could test how an AI-generated client reacts to a quarterly market commentary before distributing it. While AI adoption among financial advisors has increased dramatically in 2025, the specific concept of comprehensive simulation environments for testing client reactions is “pretty nascent,” said Trout, who has not seen many deployed use cases for AI-powered simulation sandboxes in wealth management. Such sandboxes enable risk-free experimentation with client interactions, marketing strategies and portfolio recommendations in controlled environments, said Trout. “They accelerate client growth by helping advisors identify high-potential prospects and refine outreach strategies that improve conversion rates and retention,” he said. “Enhanced productivity comes from offloading routine tasks like meeting preparation, follow-ups and client research to AI agents, allowing advisors to focus on high-value relationship building and strategic planning.” Another example of how advisors can use sandboxes is determining whether to raise fees, and if so, how much, said Munshi. Advisors can also use the technology to decide how to invest in ads, said Munshi. The sandboxes also provide continuous learning opportunities through data generation that trains models and refines strategies over time, said Trout.
Advisor CRM debuts a GenAI marketing suite that drafts LinkedIn posts, emails, and client letters in an authentic voice while automating segmentation and scheduling
Advisor CRM has launched its Gen AI Marketing Suite, a fully integrated set of free and paid tools empowers advisors to automate content creation, streamline marketing workflows, and strengthen client relationships. The Gen AI Marketing Suite includes Agents for generating Facebook and LinkedIn posts, marketing emails, client letters, press releases, and more—with new tools added weekly. With minimal training, the AI quickly learns an advisor’s tone of voice, unique value proposition, and communication style, enabling it to write marketing copy and client communications in the advisor’s authentic voice. Key features of the Gen AI Marketing Suite include: AI-powered email creation – Draft messages from scratch or with AI assistance, including suggestions for subject lines, tone, and clarity. Authenticity at scale – With minimal training, the AI learns your style and unique value proposition, writing copy in your authentic voice. Smart segmentation – Organize contact lists with custom tags (e.g., high-value clients, VIPs, new clients). Scheduling & automation – Plan email campaigns in advance with seamless scheduling tools. “Advisor CRM’s Gen AI Marketing Suite turns hours of marketing work into minutes,” said Ryan Borer, Managing Partner at Advisor CRM. “By leveraging AI, we’re not only making content creation easier but also ensuring it’s brand-consistent and client-ready. Because the system adapts to each advisor’s voice and value proposition, the marketing content it generates feels authentic, personal, and true to the advisor’s brand.”
Robinhood pivots to a global superapp by tokenizing 200+ US. stocks for EU investors with 24/7 trading Robinhood, a global financial superapp, has transformed the post-public market landscape by leveraging blockchain, tokenization, and AI to redefine retail trading. By tokenizing over 200 U.S. stocks and ETFs for European investors, Robinhood has enabled 24/7 trading, fractional ownership, and exposure to illiquid private companies like OpenAI and SpaceX. Robinhood’s AI-driven tools, such as Robinhood Cortex, provide hyper-personalized insights, boosting retention and engagement. The company’s expansion into banking and wealth management, Robinhood Banking, positions it as a one-stop financial ecosystem. Financial performance validates Robinhood’s strategic bets, with Q2 2025 revenue surged 45% year-over-year, and its adjusted EBITDA margin hit 56%. Despite challenges, Robinhood’s forward P/E ratio of 12x and $4.2 billion cash balance suggest a compelling valuation. The company’s ability to navigate regulatory complexity while scaling AI-driven personalization and blockchain infrastructure will determine its long-term dominance in a fragmented fintech landscape.
Robinhood, a global financial superapp, has transformed the post-public market landscape by leveraging blockchain, tokenization, and AI to redefine retail trading. By tokenizing over 200 U.S. stocks and ETFs for European investors, Robinhood has enabled 24/7 trading, fractional ownership, and exposure to illiquid private companies like OpenAI and SpaceX. Robinhood’s AI-driven tools, such as Robinhood Cortex, provide hyper-personalized insights, boosting retention and engagement. The company’s expansion into banking and wealth management, Robinhood Banking, positions it as a one-stop financial ecosystem. Financial performance validates Robinhood’s strategic bets, with Q2 2025 revenue surged 45% year-over-year, and its adjusted EBITDA margin hit 56%. Despite challenges, Robinhood’s forward P/E ratio of 12x and $4.2 billion cash balance suggest a compelling valuation. The company’s ability to navigate regulatory complexity while scaling AI-driven personalization and blockchain infrastructure will determine its long-term dominance in a fragmented fintech landscape.
Bitcoin ownership skews towards retail at 66% but institutions are catching up with funds and ETFs at 8% and businesses 6% highlighting balance sheet adoption momentum
River, the U.S.-based bitcoin financial services firm says individuals still own the majority of bitcoin. The study groups bitcoin supply into a few categories and shows the market share of each, using public filings, custodial address tagging and earlier blockchain research. River estimates individuals control about 65.9% of circulating BTC, or 13.83 million coins. This bucket includes self-custodied wallets and exchange accounts that River classifies as individual. On the institutional side, River divides holdings into businesses, ETFs and funds: Businesses — a global category covering corporate treasuries and conventional firms that report bitcoin holdings — account for about 6.2% of supply, or 1.30 million BTC. ETFs and funds — spot ETFs and investment vehicles that custody coins for clients — control about 7.8%, or 1.63 million BTC. Governments are shown at about 1.5%, or 306,000 BTC, based on sovereign addresses tracked from public sources. Two special categories round out the distribution: Lost bitcoin makes up about 7.6%, or 1.58 million BTC. River says this is inferred from age heuristics, which show coins that have not moved for many years and are likely unrecoverable. Satoshi/Patoshi holdings are pegged at about 4.6%, or 968,000 BTC, based on earlier research into early-era mining patterns. Finally, about 5.2% of the supply, or 1.09 million BTC, has yet to be mined before the hard cap of 21 million is reached. In plain terms, River’s research is an attempt to map who holds bitcoin today, not to forecast future prices. The estimates are not definitive, since custodians aggregate many clients, some wallets are misclassified, and ownership can be opaque. River’s conclusion is that individuals still dominate holdings, but the institutional share is expanding, helped by the growth of ETFs and companies that now treat bitcoin as a balance-sheet asset.
WealthChain files patent for Oracle‑driven smart‑contract “wealth blockchain” to replace wills and trusts, with death verification, emergency stops, identity tokens and immutable compliance logs
WealthChain Protocols announced the filing of a pioneering patent for its WEALTH Blockchain™, an innovative platform that aims to revolutionize estate planning and asset protection through self-executing smart contracts. The WEALTH Blockchain™ is a pioneering smart contract and oracle-driven platform that reimagines estate planning, asset protection, and wealth management & transfer in the digital age. This filing marks a key milestone in the development of the first blockchain specifically engineered to replace traditional legal documents — including wills, trusts, and powers of attorney — with self-executing smart contracts governed by real-world legal triggers. Key Features of the WEALTH Blockchain™ Include: A Death Verification Oracle using two independent government sources and notarized affidavits to trigger smart contracts; A Dynamic Beneficiary Registry that allows flexible, on-chain updates to beneficiary designations; Built-in Emergency Stop Mechanisms enabling family members, trustees, and courts to pause execution during disputes; Blockchain-native, encrypted Identity Tokens for secure access control; Immutable Compliance Logging for regulatory transparency and legal auditability. Boyd & Boyd, P.C. has been selected as the initial licensee and official affiliate of the WEALTH Blockchain™. The firm will integrate the technology into its Wealth Protection & Transfer Plan™, providing clients with cutting-edge smart estate plans backed by decades of legal expertise.
Chainalysis Index: North America’s crypto activity jumps 49% to $2.2T amid ETF‑driven institutional interest, while APAC is fastest growing at 69% YoY; India and the U.S. top the 2025 index
The Chainalysis 2025 Global Adoption Index found the growth strongest in North America, at 49%, though numbers were up throughout much of the world, across all income brackets. “That synchronicity suggests the current wave of crypto adoption is broad-based rather than isolated – benefiting mature markets with clearer rules and institutional rails, as well as emerging markets where remittances, dollar access via stablecoins, and mobile-first finance continue to accelerate adoption,” the report said. According to the report, the growth in North America, with the region receiving more than $2.2 trillion in the past year, is a reflection of a time of renewed institutional interest, helped along by the launch of spot bitcoin ETFs and increased regulatory clarity. The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region was the fastest growing part of the world when it came to on-chain crypto activity, the report found, with a 69% year-over-year increase in value received for the 12 months ending June of 2025. The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region was the fastest growing part of the world when it came to on-chain crypto activity, the report found, with a 69% year-over-year increase in value received for the 12 months ending June of 2025. Meanwhile, stablecoin transaction volume continues to be dominated by USDT (Tether) and USDC. Between June 2024 and June of this year, USDT processed more than $1 trillion per month, peaking at $1.14 trillion in January 2025. USDC ranged from $1.24 trillion to $3.29 trillion monthly, with especially steep activity in October 2024.
Raise unifies public and private assets in one screen, enabling scenario simulation, optimization and personalized advice for family offices and private banks
Raise Partner, a France-based B2B WealthTech provider, has launched a new version of its flagship digital solution, Smart Risk Decisions, designed to meet the needs of family offices and private banks. The web-based platform allows wealth managers to model and optimize multi-asset class portfolios, including equities, fixed income, private assets, and real estate, with an intuitive interface that requires no IT integration. The solution provides a unified global view of client portfolios and supports the simulation, optimization, and risk assessment of complex allocations. The platform addresses growing client expectations for a global wealth approach and personalized, transparent advice. Its modular design allows for the integration of additional asset classes on demand.