Haptikos has unveiled a hand exoskeleton, meant to enable you to use your hands with precision in haptic applications in XR.Read More
BUSINESS
Pocket Worlds acquires AI-based UGC team Infinite Canvas
Pocket Worlds, maker of the popular social gaming app Highrise has acquired Infinite Canvas, an AI-driven user-generated content team.Read More
QXO touts AI advantage in bid to win over Beacon Roofing shareholders
QXO’s $11 billion pitch to buy Beacon Roofing touts the company’s AI experience as well as the overall housing shortage in the United States.
Plug Power’s stock slides after analyst downgrade amid ‘escalating headwinds’
Plug Power Inc. shares have been downgraded to sell from neutral by Seaport Research Partners, which also set its price target for the hydrogen-fuel-cell company at $1.
CoinDesk 20 Performance Update: UNI Plunges 14.4% Over Weekend as All Assets Decline
CoinDesk Indices presents its daily market update, highlighting the performance of leaders and laggards in the CoinDesk 20 Index.
The CoinDesk 20 is currently trading at 3657.28, down 7.0% (-274.43) since 4 p.m. ET on Friday.
None of the 20 assets are trading higher.
Leaders: BTC (-4.1%) and BCH (-4.9%).
Laggards: UNI (-14.4%) and RENDER (-12.5%).
The CoinDesk 20 is a broad-based index traded on multiple platforms in several regions globally.
Worldcoin Rival Humanity Protocol’s Valuation Jumps to $1.1B After Fresh Fund Raise
Decentralized identity project Humanity Protocol has closed a $20 million funding round, raising its valuation to $1.1 billion.
The funding round was co-led by Pantera Capital and Jump Crypto, according to an emailed announcement.
The project last raised $30 million at a $1 billion valuation in May 2024
Humanity plans to use the new capital to accelerate the development of its Proof of Humanity consensus mechanism and integrate it into leading Web3 platforms.
The protocol, which uses palm scans to verify identity, aims to rival OpenAI founder Sam Altman’s Worldcoin project, which is built around scanning users’ irises.
Read More: Lido Co-Founders Said to Plot Competitor to Sam Altman’s World Network
Are You Eligible for the 2025 Maximum Social Security Benefits? Find Out Now
Fact checked by Giselle Cancio
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Social Security is many people’s primary source of income after retirement, but not everyone will receive the maximum amount. In 2025, lifelong high earners who wait until age 70 to claim their benefits can qualify for up to $5,108 per month.
Key Takeaways
- The maximum retirement benefit anyone can receive in 2025 is $5,108.
- Not everyone will qualify for the maximum amount, as only life-long high earners have made enough.
- The average Social Security retirement benefit in January 2025 is $1,976.
- You can get an estimate of your benefits on your my Social Security account page.
Who Is Qualified for the Maximum Amount?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a formula to calculate your benefits and the amount you receive is based on your earnings history. To be eligible for Social Security benefits, you need to have worked for at least 10 years (earning 40 work credits).
To receive the maximum benefit, you need to have been a high earner for much of your career. Specifically, the SSA calculates your benefit using your highest 35 years of earnings. The more you earned (up to the maximum taxable income), the higher your benefit will be, as the amount you pay in withholding is a percent of your income.
This means you must have earned the maximum taxable income amount (your contribution and benefit base) every year for 35 years. The maximum taxable income amount in 2025 is $176,100. In 2024, it was $168,600; in 2023, it was $160,200. You’d also have needed to earn the maximum taxable amounts or more in each of the following years to qualify:
Lastly, you’ll need to wait until you’re 70 to receive the maximum benefit amount because the SSA pays 132% of your benefit if you wait until that age. If you start claiming earlier, your benefit will be lower. For example, at age 62, the maximum monthly benefit is $2,831, and at age 67 (full retirement age), it’s $4,018.
How Much Can You Get In 2025?
The SSA estimated that the average Social Security benefit in January 2025 was $1,976, but the amount you receive depends on your earnings over your lifetime.
To get an estimate of how much you’ll receive if you choose to begin your retirement benefits in 2025, you can create or log in to a my Social Security account. Once your account is set up and your identity is verified, you can view your estimate.
The Bottom Line
Social Security was designed to supplement retirement income, but many people depend on it for income after they retire. You can receive a maximum of $5,108 per month in benefits, but you’ll need to have been a very high earner for most of your life.
As DeepSeek fears mount, here’s how much the tech giants have already spent
Investors are spooked by Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, putting spending by Big Tech on the technology in a spotlight.
QXO touts AI advantage in bid to win over Beacon Roofing’s shareholders
QXO’s $11 billion pitch to buy Beacon Roofing touts the company’s AI experience, as well as the housing shortage in the United States.
Bitcoin, CoinDesk 20 Roared in the Year of the Dragon. What Is in Store in the Year of the Snake?
As East Asia prepares to shut down for the Lunar New Year holiday and looks towards the Year of the Snake, it’s time to look back at bitcoin (BTC) and the CoinDesk 20 (CD20)’s performance during the Year of the Dragon.
Hong Kong-based brokerage CLSA has an annual tradition of forecasting the market’s performance in the coming year based on the lunar cycle, and with a few minor tweaks, it’s as applicable to crypto as it is to traditional markets.
Looking back at last year, the market sorcerers were right on the money. Bitcoin is up 137%, while the CoinDesk 20 (CD20), an index tracking the largest digital assets, is up 128% in the last year. This crypto rally is largely thanks to the election of U.S. President Donald Trump last November, which lined up with stargazers’ predictions of volatility, then a rally, in the second half of the year.
The only area where market forecasters missed the mark last year was ether’s (ETH) performance. Citing the then-anticipated ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and the Dencun upgrade to the Ethereum protocol, analysts hoped the dragon energy would ignite the market’s second largest digital asset.
But that failed to materialize, and ETH is only up 35% over the last year as it struggled to keep up to the market’s gains.
Now, on to the Year of the Snake. CLSA says the market is bound for some unpredictable twists as assets – both traditional and crypto – make their way through the lunar months.
The year begins with cautious optimism, as liquidity-driven modest gains mirror the Rough Green Snake climbing into trees for a vantage point.
However, youthful volatility, akin to the Garter Snake testing its limits, brings temporary falls in early spring. By mid-year, the fiery energy of the Brown Tree Snake suggests a potential surge, lifting markets to heights not seen in a long time.
Summer stagnates, according to the stars, autumn brings minor setbacks, but the year ends with renewed momentum and a steady rise, highlighting crypto’s resilience and adaptability in a volatile market.
Of course, CLSA also reminds readers to seek professional advice, not the guidance of the stars, before investing, and their market predictions based on heavenly guidance don’t count as a research report.