From Wall Street to Main Street, 2025 was a turbulent year for markets and the economy. Yahoo Finance took to the streets of New York to find out more about how everyday people feel about three of this year’s biggest themes: the economy, artificial intelligence (AI), and cryptocurrency.
economy:
Although the market has largely recovered from its April lows, many Americans say the economic pain has not eased. Between tariff uncertainty, stubborn inflation, and the impact of the government shutdown, the outlook for 2026 remains uncertain.
“I know a lot of recent graduates who are having a really hard time finding jobs,” says Katie, a ReportPass sales representative. “I think this is a good sign that the economy is going down.”
The rapid rise of AI:
AI has officially gone mainstream and isn’t slowing down any time soon. For example, Nvidia (NVDA) announced a $1 billion partnership with OpenAI (OPAI.PVT) to build next-generation data centers, and OpenAI signed a deal with Amazon (AMZN) to gain access to AWS infrastructure and Nvidia’s cutting-edge AI technology.
As technology advances rapidly, New Yorkers are asking, “Should I fully embrace it or start pumping the brakes?”
Crypto Comeback:
Cryptocurrencies experienced significant growth in 2025. For example, Bitcoin (BTC-USD), Ethereum (ETH-USD), and XRP (XRP-USD) hit all-time highs this year, but have recently fallen back. But despite this surge, skepticism remains.
Some New Yorkers told Yahoo Finance they still have doubts about the staying power of cryptocurrencies and whether they are truly ready for everyday use.
This post was written by John Tejada.
