2025’s Dealmania!

PRESENTED BY VIIA

Yes, it’s already Friday, Future Party! If you worked the past couple of days (like us), this feels like a belated Christmas gift. For those of you still enjoying a holiday break, keep on keepin’ on.

DAILY TOP TRENDS

What Tech Trends We’ll Be Talking About in 2025

Next year, the biggest trends in tech will likely revolve around big-money deals, smaller AI, shoring up American defense, and loosening the American financial system.

The Big Picture: There’s a major vibe shift happening across Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and the Beltway as the incoming Trump administration plans to rewrite the rules of not just the previous presidency but of any administration before it.

The Breakdown: Insider spoke to venture capitalists from 35 top firms to get a sense of where tech is heading in 2025.

Here are some key topics:

• Deals, deals, deals: A more-lenient FTC and slowly dropping interest rates could lead to a resurgence in IPOs and M&A… but expect a lot of haves and have-nots when it comes to funding.

• AI goes small and powerful: While AI firms fight lawsuits in court for scraping the internet for their large language models, companies will partner with those firms to create their proprietary AI models… And they’ll likely be agentic.

• Bot butlers and chauffeurs: After a flurry of funding, expect humanoid robots to start entering the workforce at factories and fulfillment centers. Additionally, Waymo has expanded its robotaxi footprint, but Tesla is quickly joining the race.

• Money gets shady: The new administration is already proving to be a big fan of crypto, so expect a loosening of regulations, especially as Gary Gensler steps down from the SEC. Fintech and online gambling will probably get a big boost as well.

• Security is top of mind: Cyberattacks have severely ramped up against US companies, government agencies, and critical infrastructure, so there’s a lot of need in the space. Additionally, there’s a renewed interest in bringing tech solutions to defense.

The Future: The one thing nobody seems to be sure about is what will happen to TikTok. Whether ByteDance decides to sell it (on the premise that it can sell it) or if a ban does go into effect on January 19, it’ll be the biggest tech story of the year by far.

Together with VIIA

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Travel Trends You’ll Be Booking

Your trips next year may revolve around turning off-the-beaten-path towns into new vacation hotspots, going abroad to find a hard-to-get product, or getting away just to see the night sky a bit clearer.

Why It Flies: Despite tightening budgets and the never-ending headlines of how dicey air travel seems to be right now, domestic and international travel are both up this year. It goes to show that, no matter what, Americans are desperate for a vacation.

Behind the Itineraries: Which trip are you taking next?

• A “detour destination?” Expedia reports that 63% of travelers are going to typically-ignored locations near big cities next year, including Reims, France (near Paris), Cozumel, Mexico (near Cancun), and Santa Barbara, California (near LA).

• A “goods getaway?” Expedia also notes that the number of people taking trips to find viral products or foods will increase. No-brainer alert, but 44% of travelers already shop for “local goods they can't get at home."

• Some “noctourism?” Booking.com reports that traveling to go stargazing is going to ramp up, especially to destinations such as Arches National Park in Utah, Big Bend National Park in Texas, and AMC Maine Woods International Dark Sky Park in Maine.

Final Destinations: When you get to your destination, where you’ll be staying may also be a bit different. Several top tourism countries are cracking down on Airbnbs, so the changing-rental ecosystem may affect your plans. You may even — gasp — need to book a hotel.

Together with Nike

Nike Holiday Sale: Extra 25% Off

Ready to elevate your game in 2025? Nike's latest sale is here, bringing you a year-end gift of 25% off to power up your runs, workouts, and everyday adventures! Just use the code “MOMENT” at checkout. 

See what’s in store:

• Legendary Air Max: Step up your sneaker game.

• Fresh Training Gear: Look good while you sweat.

• Stylish Sneakers: Turn heads wherever you go.

• Cozy Hoodies: Perfect for those chill days.

Don’t sleep on this holiday gift — grab your favorites before they're gone and enjoy the thrill of saving big while you stay ahead of the pack.

Check out the Nike sale and enjoy an extra 25% off before it ends!

DEEP DIVES

• Read: Vulture has the inside story of how Disney was able to make streaming profitable as it combined Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ under one roof.

• Listen: Puck chats with National Association of Theatre Owners CEO Michael O’Leary on how the exhibition industry is finally modernizing.

• Explore: Deadline gives out its annual report card on all the major streaming platforms.

89.1% of you voted NO in Thursday’s poll: “‘Would you sell shares of your future income?”

“Crazy idea”

“Sounds like a pyramid scheme.”

“I don't want to give away part of my success to someone else.”

“I’ve been in the workforce long enough to know where my intelligence, work ethic, and adaptability rank among my counterparts. I’d rather bet on myself than others.”

“Heck yeah! Great idea. I’ve seen so many individuals in Hollywood have some success but fewer have been able to sustain it. Being able to leverage those successes and knowing there is support and likeminded communities is super-helpful.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join our Poll Of The Day newsletter, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

QUICK HITS

→ Technology

💸 Apple is gearing up to be the first company to hit a $4 trillion market cap.

🤼‍♂️ OpenAI and Microsoft are wrestling with how to value their partnership as the former morphs into a for-profit company.

🤖 xAI raised a $6 billion round from Nvidia, the sovereign funds of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, and several existing VC investors.

→ Creator Economy

📈 Bluesky is testing a trending topics feature as the platform continues to grow.

🍯 Turns out the Honey browser extension has been scamming influencers out of affiliate-link commissions.

🛹 Two skateboarders rode all the way from Venice Beach in LA to Times Square in NYC… and documented it all on TikTok.

→ Fashion / E-commerce

🛒 Mastercard reports that holiday retail sales jumped 3.8% this season.

🛍️ Saks completed its purchase of Neiman Marcus for $2.7 billion.

👕 Erewhon is a fashion company now.