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Mortgage Rates and Gas Prices Are Back in the 6s!


Want to talk about a double whammy, just in time for the spring home buying season?

Well, it occurred to me that thanks to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, both gas prices and mortgage rates have spiked higher.

And the irony is they both have a 6-handle again, assuming you live in a pricey state like California.

That one-two punch means it’s even less attractive to move forward with a home purchase today.

For the prospective home buyer out there, their cost of living just went up, whether it’s qualifying for a mortgage or simply driving across town.

6-Handle Mortgage Rates and Gas Prices Thanks to Surging Oil Prices

The economy works in mysterious ways sometimes, the latest example being 6-handle mortgage rates AND gas prices.

The cost of a gallon of gas and a 30-year fixed mortgage rate have essentially intersected thanks to this unexpected development.

I was checking out gas prices on the GasBuddy website the other day and saw that a gallon of premium in Los Angeles now exceeded $6!

I immediately thought the prices looked a lot like 30-year fixed mortgage rates, which are also hovering around the low-to-mid 6s again.

As you can see in my screenshot, $6.19, $6.29, and $6.49 for a gallon looks strangely similar to a lender’s daily mortgage rates at the moment.

This is something that wasn’t an issue just over two weeks ago, when the 30-year fixed had finally fallen below 6% for the first time in several years.

Same with gas prices. I can’t remember the last time it set you back more than $6 per gallon to fill up.

It’s About More Than Just Mortgage Rates

mortgage rate spike

This illustrates something I’ve been trying to articulate since mortgage rates spiked higher in early March.

A lot of this is psychological, as the difference in monthly payment between a rate of 5.99% and 6.25% is pretty minimal.

But now that the cost of living is going up, it’s going to become very real for prospective home buyers attempting to make a home purchase pencil.

If it costs another $20 (or more) to fill up at the pump, their stock portfolio is in the dumps, and inflation rears its ugly head again due to higher input costs on everyday goods, it becomes a collective problem.

All of a sudden, they’re being hit from all angles. They’re feeling the sticker shock at the pump, they’re too afraid to even look at the stock market…

And when they go check daily mortgage rates, the 5-handle rates have been replaced with 6-handle rates.

To make matters worse, it all seems to be getting worse.

First it was rates back above 6%. Then it was 6.125%, then 6.25%, and nearly back to 6.50% to end last week.

We got a little bit of a breather today, but who’s to say we don’t go to 6.50% next?

You get the feeling it’s going to get worse before it gets better, though if we can find some sort of resolution, that can change.

The one silver lining is that much (if not all) of this spike in mortgage rates and gas prices is related to the Iranian conflict.

If that can somehow get resolved, you begin to envision a path back to where we were before this got going.

It’s a very acute issue that hypothetically could be reversed if it proves to be short-lived.

That’s the larger question though. Will it turn out to be a blip or is it the start of something bigger?

Colin Robertson
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The 7-Year Career Wall for Physicians: What to Do When Growth Stops But You’re Not Ready to Quit



I was a medical student scrubbed into an appendectomy when the surgeon said something I didn’t fully understand at the time. I told him surgery seemed like a lot of fun. He looked at me and said: once you do enough of these, it’s just a job. The excitement fades.

I filed that away and moved on. Years later, as an attending, I started hearing variations of the same thing from colleagues. They still cared about their patients. They still showed up. But somewhere along the way the energy had shifted. Something had quietly gone flat.

Eventually I came to understand what I was seeing. Around year 7 to 10, a lot of doctors hit something that I’ve started calling the “7-year career wall for physicians”.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Any investment involves risk, and you should consult your financial advisor, attorney, or CPA before making any investment decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The author and associated entities disclaim any liability for loss incurred as a result of the use of this material or its content.

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What the Wall Actually Is

Most physicians who hit the wall don’t recognize it for what it is at first. It doesn’t feel dramatic. There’s no breakdown, no crisis. You’re not miserable. You’re just… flat. The career is fine on paper. The income is good. From the outside, everything looks like success.

But internally, something is missing, and you can’t quite name it.

Here’s what’s actually happening. For the first 7 years or so of a medical career, your brain was getting exactly what it needed. Think about the progression: medical school, Step 1, Step 2, residency, boards, chief year, first job, first partnership. There was always a next milestone. Always a new skill to build, a new case to figure out, a new challenge to clear.

That constant forward motion isn’t just motivating in a vague, inspirational sense. It’s biological. When we learn something new and take on genuine challenges, our brains form new neural connections and pathways. Dopamine gets released. The brain literally rewards growth. It’s wired to seek novelty and challenge.

So the early years of medicine were, neurologically speaking, a very good time. Then somewhere around year 7 to 10, the learning curve flattens. You’ve mastered the clinical work. The milestones run out. The stimulus is gone.

Your brain didn’t stop needing what it needed before. The environment just stopped providing it.

There’s even a name for this pattern. The 7-year itch refers to the tendency humans have to hit inflection points every 7 to 10 years, where the existing structure stops working and something needs to shift. It shows up in careers. It shows up in relationships. The answer in both cases isn’t to walk away. It’s to innovate.

My father used to say it’s good to reinvent yourself every 10 years. I thought that was just something fathers say. I understand now what he meant. Your brain needs a new chapter, or it quietly goes dark on you.

The Default Responses (and Why They Don’t Work)

Most physicians who hit the wall default to one of two responses. Neither one actually solves the problem.

The first is resignation. The reasoning usually goes something like: I worked hard to get here. The income is good. I have no right to complain. So you put your head down and keep going. Maybe you work harder, pick up more shifts, chase more RVUs. The logic makes sense on the surface. If I feel like I’m coasting, I should do more.

But more of the same thing is still the same thing. It doesn’t solve the growth problem. It just exhausts you faster.

The second response is the fantasy. You spend mental energy imagining a different life. Leaving medicine entirely, starting something from scratch, walking away from the whole structure. There’s usually no real plan behind this. It’s more like mental escape. And the problem with mental escape is it drains energy from the present without moving you anywhere.

Both of these responses treat the wall as a career problem. Something to be pushed through or fled from.

It’s not a career problem. It’s a growth problem. And that distinction matters, because it changes what the solution looks like.

What Actually Works

The physicians I’ve seen break through the wall share a common pattern. They figure out how to innovate. They learn new skills. They start investing. They build something on the side. They find a different way to practice medicine. In some cases, they expand into entrepreneurship or real estate. In others, they simply take on a new challenge within medicine itself.

The specific vehicle matters less than what’s actually happening at the neurological level: they’ve given their brain something new to work on.

A lot of physicians I know who started exploring real estate or building a business had the same initial reaction. I don’t know anything about this. Why would anyone take me seriously? It’s a reasonable concern. But it misses something important.

The skills you’ve built over a decade in medicine are real. Clinical judgment. High-stakes decision-making under pressure. Analytical thinking. Discipline. Those don’t disappear when you step outside the hospital. They transfer. They compound. Every new thing you try as a physician is built on the foundation you’ve already laid.

That’s why so many physicians who start investing, or launch a practice on their own terms, or build something outside of medicine, describe a feeling of coming alive again. Not because they’ve escaped medicine. Because they’ve expanded beyond it.

The “Wasted Training” Myth

There’s an unspoken belief in medicine worth naming directly. The idea that if you do anything outside of pure clinical work, you’ve wasted your training. He spent 10 years becoming a doctor and now he’s managing real estate? What a shame.

I’d push back on that pretty hard.

Who decided that the skills you built in medicine only apply inside a hospital? The judgment, the systems thinking, the ability to evaluate risk under uncertainty. Those are durable skills. They’re valuable in almost any domain you’d want to enter.

The training didn’t stop mattering when you stepped outside the clinical setting. It became the foundation for something bigger.

My father said reinvent yourself every 10 years. I don’t think he meant abandon what you know. I think he meant: don’t let the structure you built in your 30s become a cage in your 40s.


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The Wall Is a Signal, Not a Verdict

If you’re somewhere in that 7 to 10 year window and something in this resonates, I want to offer a reframe.

The wall isn’t a sign that something has gone wrong with your career, or your commitment to medicine, or your ability to find meaning in the work. It’s a signal. Your brain telling you it’s ready for more than the current environment is providing.

The question isn’t whether to stay in medicine or leave. That’s a false binary that the fantasy response creates. The real question is: what new challenge are you going to introduce? What new skill are you going to build? What’s the next thing your brain gets to learn?

That might be investing in real estate. It might be building a practice on your own terms. It might be creating something, teaching something, or connecting with a different peer group that’s asking different questions than the ones you’ve been surrounded by.

The specific path varies. The underlying need doesn’t. Your brain is wired for growth. It’s been that way since medical school. The wall showed up because that need went unmet for long enough.

Answer it, and the wall isn’t the end of the story. It’s where the next chapter starts.

If this resonates and you’re in that 7 to 10 year window, the Leverage and Growth Summit on March 17th and 19th is designed specifically for physicians ready to start building something outside of traditional clinical medicine. It’s free, it’s virtual, and it’s practical.

If you’re interested in learning more or want to join us for free, click here. See you there!


Were these helpful in any way? Make sure to sign up for the newsletter and join the Passive Income Docs Facebook Group for more physician-tailored content.


Peter Kim, MD is the founder of Passive Income MD, the creator of Passive Real Estate Academy, and offers weekly education through his Monday podcast, the Passive Income MD Podcast. Join our community at the Passive Income Doc Facebook Group.

Further Reading



Bitcoin Depot (BTM) Q4 2025 Earnings Transcript


Image source: The Motley Fool.

DATE

Monday, Mar. 16, 2026 at 10 a.m. ET

CALL PARTICIPANTS

  • Chief Executive Officer — Scott Buchanan
  • Chief Financial Officer — David Gray

TAKEAWAYS

  • Revenue — $116,000,000 for the fourth quarter, down from $136,800,000, largely due to new state regulations and enhanced compliance standards.
  • Full-Year Revenue — $615,000,000, representing a 7% increase, driven by kiosk expansion and growth in median transaction size.
  • Active Kiosks — 9,721 installed at year end, up 15% from the prior year, reflecting both organic growth and acquisitions.
  • Median Transaction Size — $400, up 43% from 2024, indicating higher average customer spend per transaction.
  • User Lifetime Value — $5,311 per user, up 5% from the previous year, calculated for users active at any point between 2016 and Q4 2025.
  • Gross Profit — $15,300,000 for 2025, down from $23,500,000.
  • Gross Margin (Q4) — 13.2% compared to 17.2% the prior year, attributed to lower quarterly revenue; full-year gross margin expanded by 300 basis points to 17.2%.
  • Total Operating Expenses — $21,400,000 in the quarter, up from $15,000,000, primarily due to higher legal and incentive compensation expenses.
  • Full-Year Operating Expenses — $72,100,000, a 7% increase versus 2024, largely from increased legal costs.
  • GAAP Net Loss (Full Year) — $24,900,000, which includes an $18,500,000 accrual for an arbitration judgment liability.
  • Net Loss Attributable to Common Shareholders (Q4) — $21,000,000, or -$2.80 per share, compared to a loss of $6,600,000, or $2.54 per share, a year earlier.
  • GAAP Net Income (Q4) — $5,100,000, down from $7,800,000 the previous year.
  • Adjusted EBITDA (Q4) — $1,600,000, versus $13,000,000 a year ago, reflecting lower revenue and higher OpEx.
  • Adjusted EBITDA (Full Year) — $56,400,000, a 42% increase, highlighting improvements over the longer cycle.
  • Cash Position — $76,600,000 in cash, cash equivalents, and cryptocurrencies as of year end, up from $31,000,000, supported in part by a $15,000,000 equity offering.
  • Cash from Operating Activities — $34,000,000 during 2025, an increase of 51% over last year.
  • Total Debt — $62,500,000 at quarter end, including an $18,000,000 term loan and $40,000,000 in profit share liabilities; company notes no plans to expand profit share program.
  • 2026 Revenue Guidance — Expected decline of 30%-40% for the core BTM business due to regulatory headwinds, with management indicating “the industry resets and adapts to a changing landscape.”
  • Cut Acquisition — Entrance into peer-to-peer social betting via the acquisition of Cut, with projected 2026 revenue contribution “definitely… below $5,000,000.”
  • ReadyBox Launch — Debut of ReadyBox, an independent business advance platform offering $500-$2,000 advances to small businesses, gig workers, and independent contractors, leveraging core company infrastructure.
  • Regulatory Outlook — Management expects 80%-90% of states to have established their stance on regulations by end of 2026, resulting in decreased uncertainty after that period.
  • International Expansion — Active projects underway for launches in two new countries, anticipated in late Q1 or early Q2; regulatory impact abroad is expected to be less of a factor than in the U.S. at this stage.

Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected]

RISKS

  • David Gray said, “2026 is likely to be a challenging year for our core BTM business, where we expect revenue to decline between 30% to 40% year over year as the industry resets and adapts to a changing landscape.”
  • Higher legal expenses and an $18,500,000 arbitration judgment liability materially increased full-year operating costs and contributed to the net loss.
  • Adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter declined sharply to $1,600,000 from $13,000,000, reflecting lower revenue and elevated expenses.

SUMMARY

Bitcoin Depot (BTM 9.82%) reported declining fourth-quarter revenue and gross profit, attributing the contraction to state-level regulations and heightened compliance requirements. The company expanded both its kiosk footprint and median transaction size during the year, resulting in solid annual revenue growth and improved adjusted EBITDA for the full year. Recent acquisitions and new product launches, including peer-to-peer betting via Cut and the ReadyBox merchant advance platform, form the foundation of a diversification strategy, but are expected to contribute minimally to revenue in the near term. Management provided 2026 guidance forecasting a significant revenue drop for the core kiosk business due to persistent regulatory pressures, while highlighting ongoing international expansion and cost optimization efforts.

  • The company completed a platform transition for more than 500 newly acquired kiosks and formed strategic retail partnerships with GPM Investments and Wild Bill Tobacco, expanding national reach.
  • Profit share arrangements accounted for $40,000,000 of total debt, with the company stating it “currently do not anticipate further expansion” of this program.
  • Relocation of underperforming kiosks into higher-traffic locations is a key operational lever, enabled without incremental capital spending.
  • Full-year user lifetime value increased to $5,311, indicating a rising level of cumulative spend per customer across the network.
  • Ongoing international expansion efforts target new markets, with launches in two countries planned for early 2026 and management citing less immediate regulatory interference abroad.

INDUSTRY GLOSSARY

  • BTM: Bitcoin Transaction Machine; refers to cryptocurrency kiosks that allow users to buy or sell digital assets such as bitcoin, litecoin, or ethereum.
  • Profit Share Arrangements: Financing structures under which the company receives an upfront payment from partners in exchange for a share of future profits from designated kiosks over a fixed period, recognized as debt under U.S. GAAP.
  • Kiosk Relocation: Operational practice of moving machines to higher-performing locations to optimize returns and reduce underutilization, without adding new units.
  • ReadyBox: Standalone business advance product recently launched by Bitcoin Depot, providing working capital to small businesses and independent workers.
  • Cut: Peer-to-peer social betting platform enabling direct wagers between users, recently acquired as part of the company’s diversification initiatives.

Full Conference Call Transcript

Operator: Good morning, and welcome to Bitcoin Depot Inc.’s fourth quarter and full-year 2025 conference call. My name is John, and I will be your operator today. Before this call, Bitcoin Depot Inc. issued its financial results in a press release. A copy will be furnished in a report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC and will be available in the Investor Relations section of the company’s website. Joining us on today’s call are Bitcoin Depot Inc.’s CEO, Scott Buchanan, and CFO, David Gray. Following their remarks, we will open the call for questions. Before we begin, Cody Slach from the Gateway Group will make a brief introductory statement. Mr. Slach, please proceed.

Cody Slach: Thank you, operator. Good morning, everyone. Before management begins their formal remarks, we would like to remind everyone that some statements we are making today may be considered forward-looking statements under securities laws and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. As a result, we caution you that there are a few factors, many of which are beyond our control, that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. For more detailed risks, uncertainties, and assumptions relating to our forward-looking statements, please see the disclosures in our earnings release and public filings made with the SEC.

We disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date forward-looking statements are made, except as required by law. We will also discuss non-GAAP financial metrics and encourage you to read our disclosures and the reconciliation tables to applicable GAAP measures in our earnings release carefully as you consider these metrics. We refer you to our filings with the SEC for detailed disclosures and descriptions of our business as well as uncertainties and other variable circumstances, including but not limited to, risks and uncertainties identified under the caption Risk Factors in our recent filings.

You may get Bitcoin Depot Inc.’s SEC filings for free by visiting the SEC website at sec.gov. I would like to remind everyone this call is being recorded and will be available for replay via a link in the Investor Relations section of Bitcoin Depot Inc.’s website. A supplemental earnings presentation highlighting our performance has also been made available on our IR website. I will now turn the call over to Bitcoin Depot Inc.’s CEO, Scott Buchanan.

Scott Buchanan: Thanks, Cody, and good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us today. 2025 was a strong year for Bitcoin Depot Inc. with growth across the majority of our key operating and financial metrics and meaningful progress executing on our long-term strategy. While our fourth quarter results declined year over year, this was primarily driven by recently enacted state regulations that introduced transaction size caps and, to a lesser extent, enhancements to our compliance standards that modestly impacted transaction activity. Importantly, we view both developments as constructive for the long-term health, credibility, and sustainability of the digital asset industry.

As the largest operator in North America, with one of the most robust compliance programs, Bitcoin Depot Inc. is best positioned to navigate this evolving regulatory environment. We ended the fourth quarter with approximately 9,700 active machines, reflecting both organic growth and targeted acquisitions. In October, we completed the transition of the assets acquired from National Day Bitcoin ATM to our operating platform, adding more than 500 kiosks to our network. We also expanded through new retail partnerships, including GPM Investments, a subsidiary of Arco Corp., placing our kiosks in 188 initial locations with one of the country’s largest convenience store operators.

Additionally, we announced a new partnership with Wild Bill Tobacco, launching with a pilot installation in 10 stores and the opportunity to expand across a portfolio of more than 250 locations. Subsequent to quarter end, we acquired the assets of Instant Coin Bank, further strengthening our presence across the South Central United States. Relocation remains an important lever in our growth playbook. By continuously evaluating kiosk-level performance, we can redeploy machines into higher-traffic, higher-conversion locations, improving unit economics without incremental capital investment. On the regulatory front, we expect continued activity at the state level in 2026.

While jurisdictions may introduce additional transaction limits or enhanced consumer protection requirements, we believe these measures ultimately raise industry standards and reinforce the advantages of scale, compliance infrastructure, and regulatory engagement, areas where Bitcoin Depot Inc. has led for years. Building on our previously announced first-transaction ID verification in February, we extended identity verification requirements for returning users, adding an additional layer of oversight and real-time transaction monitoring. These measures strengthen our consumer protection, deter bad actors, and further differentiate Bitcoin Depot Inc. as a trusted, compliant platform as the industry matures.

Earlier this month, we announced the acquisition of Cut, a peer-to-peer social betting platform that enables users to wager directly against one another across sports, entertainment, and user-generated events. This acquisition marks our entry into the P2P social betting market and reflects our broader strategy to thoughtfully diversify beyond Bitcoin ATMs by leveraging our existing payment infrastructure, compliance capabilities, and consumer engagement expertise. To add to this diversification strategy, just last week, we announced the launch of ReadyBox, a standalone business advance platform providing working capital solutions to small businesses, gig workers, and independent contractors. ReadyBox offers advances ranging from $500 to $2,000 in its initial rollout across select states.

Importantly, this platform operates independently from our Bitcoin kiosk business, while leveraging the same compliance, underwriting, and payment infrastructure that underpins our core operation. Together, Cut and ReadyBox represent important steps in our evolution from a single-product operator into a broader fintech platform. Both initiatives leverage our core strengths—compliance, payment, risk management, and customer trust—while expanding our addressable market and creating new, scalable revenue streams. I will now turn the call over to our CFO, David Gray, to walk you through our financial results in more detail. David?

David Gray: Thanks, Scott, and good morning, everyone. Jumping right into our results for the fourth quarter, revenue in the fourth quarter was $116,000,000 compared to $136,800,000 in the prior-year period, reflecting the impact of recently enacted state regulations and enhanced compliance standards. For the full year, revenue increased 7% to $615,000,000, driven by kiosk expansion and continued growth in median transaction size. In fact, at the end of 2025, installed kiosks were 9,721, up 15% from 2024. Median transaction size also grew to $400, up 43% from 2024. We now also define lifetime value, which measures the average cumulative dollar value of all purchases users acquired from inception through the most recent quarter.

Users who have completed at least one transaction between 2016 and 12/31/2025 have transacted a total of $5,311 on average. This is up 5% from the previous year. Gross profit in 2025 was $15,300,000 compared to $23,500,000 in 2024. Fourth-quarter gross margin was 13.2% compared to 17.2% last year, primarily reflecting lower revenue volume in the quarter. For the full year, gross margin expanded 300 basis points to 17.2%, demonstrating the underlying operating leverage in our model. Total operating expenses were $21,400,000 compared to $15,000,000 in last year’s fourth quarter, with the increase due to higher legal and incentive compensation-related expenses. For the year, total OpEx was up 7% to $72,100,000 due to the higher legal expenses.

GAAP net loss for 2025 was $24,900,000 compared to net income of $5,400,000 for 2024. 2025 included an $18,500,000 accrual for an arbitration judgment liability. Net loss attributable to common shareholders in 2025 was $21,000,000, or -$2.80 per share, compared to a net loss of $6,600,000, or $2.54 per share, in last year’s fourth quarter. GAAP net income for the year was down slightly to $5,100,000 compared to $7,800,000 in 2024. Adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter was $1,600,000 compared to $13,000,000 in the prior year, reflecting lower revenue and higher operating expenses. For the full year, adjusted EBITDA increased 42% to $56,400,000, underscoring the strength of our operating model over a full-cycle view.

Now turning to our balance sheet and cash flow, cash, cash equivalents, and cryptocurrencies as of 12/31/2025 increased to $76,600,000, compared to $31,000,000 at the end of 2024. During the fourth quarter, we completed a $15,000,000 registered direct offering of our Class A common stock, which we are using for general corporate purposes. We generated $34,000,000 of cash from operating activities in 2025, compared to $22,500,000 last year, an increase of 51%. Debt, including a term loan, finance leases, and profit share arrangements, was $62,500,000 at quarter end compared to $60,900,000 at the end of 2024. Of the total debt balance, $18,000,000 is our term loan, and $40,000,000 is comprised of profit-sharing liabilities.

As a reminder, these profit share arrangements contain an upfront lump-sum payment to the company by our partners in exchange for a portion of future profits generated from a specified group of kiosks for a specified period of time. Because we continue to operate and typically retain title to the machines, we must account for these arrangements as debt under U.S. GAAP. We currently do not anticipate further expansion of the profit share program moving forward.

Now turning to our outlook, given the dynamic regulatory environment Scott discussed, 2026 is likely to be a challenging year for our core BTM business, where we expect revenue to decline between 30% to 40% year over year as the industry resets and adapts to a changing landscape. We will be focused on cost containment and fleet optimization to adapt to these changes, while also working to scale our recently acquired P2P betting platform and newly launched merchant cash advance products. However, we do not expect these to have a material impact on our overall revenue in the current year. Thank you for joining us today and for your continued interest in Bitcoin Depot Inc.

We appreciate your support and look forward to keeping you updated as we continue to build a compliant, diversified fintech platform designed for long-term growth. With that, I will turn it over to the operator to take questions.

Operator: Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, we will now begin the question-and-answer session. At this time, I would like to remind everyone, in order to ask a question, please press star followed by the number 1 on your telephone keypad. If you would like to withdraw your questions, simply press star 1 again. Our first question comes from the line of Michael Anthony Colonnese from H.C. Wainwright. Please go ahead.

Michael Anthony Colonnese: Thank you for taking my questions. And Scott, congratulations, Don, on the new role with Pharma. Well deserved. First question for me, I was wondering if you could unpack the 2026 revenue guidance a bit. Just trying to get a better sense of the underlying kiosk growth assumption embedded in the outlook. And, David, you touched on this a bit that the Cut acquisition is not going to be a material contributor, but it would just be great to get a better idea as to what that revenue contribution from Cut could look like for 2026.

Scott Buchanan: Yeah. Hey, Mike. This is Scott. Thank you for the question. For the core BTM business, I mean, the revenue decline obviously is a big range that David gave, and that is largely because we do not know exactly what regulatory changes will happen this year. Right? We know states will pass additional measures that will limit the economics in those states, but we do not know how many states or exactly what bills will pass. So that is our best estimate at this point in terms of what the revenue decline could be.

In terms of number of kiosks, that will likely stay flat or down slightly depending on how we want to handle relocations for states that pass particularly negative bills. But it will really just depend on what specifically gets done during this year, and we will continue to update guidance as we have better clarity on that throughout the year.

David Gray: On Cut, Cut is a relatively small business. We think we can accelerate the growth substantially by investing more into their marketing and engineering teams. They have had a very small team prior to us acquiring them, and we think there are a lot of quick wins we can get there. As far as a specific revenue forecast, we do not have that, but revenue will definitely be below $5,000,000 for Cut this year.

Michael Anthony Colonnese: Got it. Very helpful, Scott. Appreciate that. And how do you guys envision the new Bitcoin ATM regulations that have been passed and ones that are to be passed at the state level changing the M&A landscape from here? Obviously, you guys have been acquisitive in the past. Can we expect Bitcoin Depot Inc. to be more acquisitive this year given some of the changes to the laws?

Scott Buchanan: Potentially. Again, it will really depend on what exactly passes and how the rest of the industry reacts to those regulatory changes. We have kind of been opportunistic in the way we approached M&A, where if we have seen some smaller competitors that are struggling to comply with these challenging regulations from an engineering and operating standpoint, it has been us an ability to buy these at attractive valuations. We are not going out and hunting to acquire people in the space, but if there are attractive opportunities out there, we are going to be strategically acquisitive. So it could happen, but it is not like we are actively trying to roll up the entire industry right now.

We really want to see how everyone else reacts to the changes and how well they can comply and how that affects all of our volume going forward.

Operator: And if you would like to ask a question, please press star followed by the number 1 on your telephone keypad. Our next question comes from the line of Patrick Joseph McCann with Noble Capital Markets.

Patrick Joseph McCann: Hey, good morning. Thanks for taking my questions. Just have a couple here. First, both with regard to regulations, I guess, with regard to 2026 and what you are seeing there in terms of which states are in the process of passing regulations and which ones, you know, recently did. I was wondering if, you know, by the end of 2026, do you have a sense of where the regulatory landscape will settle for the—you know, for your largest states?

I guess, you know, really, my question is, will—do you believe you will be at a point where many of your largest states will have gone through the regulatory changes, or maybe how much more disruption or meaningful disruption would you expect that would still be ahead in terms of states that have not yet gotten around to this?

Scott Buchanan: Yeah. I think a great question. Thank you, Pat. I think in 2026, we will have seen 80% to 90% of the states decide where their stance is on this from a regulatory standpoint, at least initially. So 2027 should be much, much less activity. There could be some revisions to existing states with bills in 2027 as they kind of learn more and see what the impact is of what they passed initially. But, generally, I would say by the end of 2026, we will have clarity on which states are going to regulate them now.

Patrick Joseph McCann: Great. That is helpful. And then my other question is really just a follow-up. With the regulatory actions going on in the states, I was just wondering how that affects your view of the markets. Are those going to be having similar issues or similar developments, or do those become more appealing now? Has that changed or maybe accelerated your ambitions in the international markets at all?

Scott Buchanan: I do not know that we have seen changes internationally anywhere like what we are seeing in the U.S. So we are still actively working on two more countries currently that we would hope to launch in either late Q1 or early Q2. We are still actively working on international expansion, and we still have high hopes for that being a successful path for us. But, again, it will depend on each jurisdiction. Right? Like, there are still so few kiosks in most of these countries that these countries probably have not even thought about regulating the industry.

And so we will just have to pay close attention as we are going into these spaces on how they view the industry once there starts to be a meaningful number of kiosks in those countries.

Operator: At this time, that concludes our question-and-answer session. I will now turn the call back over to Scott Buchanan for closing remarks.

Scott Buchanan: Thank you, everybody, for joining the call today. We look forward to keeping you updated on our progress throughout the year.

Operator: Thank you for joining us today for Bitcoin Depot Inc.’s fourth quarter call. You may now disconnect.

Alaska Airlines Partner Awards Increased In Price – Devaluation Or Glitch?


Flyertalk user Acid noticed that Alaska Airlines partner awards have greatly increased in price. Interestingly it seems to only be affecting flights with connections. As part of the Hawaiian Airlines acquisition Alaska Airlines had to promote not to devalue miles, but that only applies to carrier-operated flights and not partner awards. It also doesn’t specify award charts but a value per mile figure that wasn’t disclosed and could change if cobranded card partners pay them less. 

It’s odd that the devaluation would only apply to flights with a connection. Alaska’s award charts also say ‘starting at…’ so they can technically do this. Personally I think this is probably some sort of mistake, we have contacted Alaska for comment. 

Hat tip to xliioper for devaluation image above. 

Surging Gas Prices Fuel Employee Pushback Against Return‑to‑Office Mandates



With gas prices exceeding $3.70 per gallon, employees are demanding to work from home.

How to Trade Crypto: Cryptocurrency Trading for Beginners



What is crypto trading, and how does it work? Whether you’re just starting or already have some experience, understanding the basics of crypto trading is essential. In this video, Jessica Walker breaks down WHAT, WHERE, and HOW crypto trading happens.

You’ll learn about:
✅ What crypto trading is and why the market never sleeps
✅ Differences between centralized and decentralized exchanges
✅ Spot trading basics and how it differs from futures, margin, and options trading
✅ Peer-to-peer (P2P) trading explained and why it matters
✅ How to choose tokens and trading pairs across different platforms
✅ Common trading strategies — scalping, day trading, swing trading, position trading, and HODLing
✅ The importance of risk management and education to trade smart
Whether you want quick trades or long-term holds, this video helps you understand the crypto trading landscape and find the approach that suits your goals.

⏱️ Timestamps:
⏳ 00:00 – Introduction: Crypto Trading
⏳ 00:25 – WHAT is Crypto Trading?
⏳ 00:58 – WHERE is Crypto Trading? Centralised vs Decentralised Exchanges
⏳ 01:20 – Centralised Exchanges (CEXs)
⏳ 01:53 – Decentralised Exchanges (DEXs)
⏳ 02:43 – Types of Trading Markets: Spot, Futures, Margin, Options & P2P
⏳ 04:07 – Trading Considerations: Tokens and Trading Pairs
⏳ 05:04 – HOW to Crypto Trade? Popular Trading Strategies
⏳ 06:33 – Risk Management and Trading Tips
⏳ 07:16 – Outro

#crypto #cryptoexplained #Binance #cryptotrading #trading #binanceexplains

⚠️ RISK WARNING: Digital asset prices can be volatile. The value of your investment may go down or up and you may not get back the amount invested. You are solely responsible for your investment decisions and Binance is not liable for any losses you may incur. It is your responsibility to ascertain whether you are permitted to use the services of Binance based on your individual circumstances. Not financial advice. For more information, see our Terms of Use and Risk Warning.

📢 Join the conversation:
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Best AI-Powered Side Hustles For College Students In 2026


AI has made it easier than ever for college students to earn real money on the side. You don’t need a degree in computer science or a big upfront investment –  you need the right tools, a willingness to learn, and the patience to build something. The side hustles below are all grounded in real examples. Every single one has documented income proof from people who are actually doing it.

A few honest caveats: AI won’t make you rich overnight, and most of these take weeks or months to ramp up. The income ranges listed are real but represent a wide spread from beginner to experienced. Start with one hustle, not five.

1. Freelance Writing

Using tools like ChatGPT to draft, structure, and polish articles lets you take on more clients and deliver faster. Freelance writers who use AI don’t get replaced — they get more competitive. The key is that you still do the research, add expertise, and edit the output to sound like a real human (not a robot).

Do not go out and make AI slop content! In this digital age of massive amounts of content, what you actually need to do is leverage the tools to make unique/quality work. Not just more generic fluff.

What You’ll Need / Tools:

  • ChatGPT – drafting, outlining, brainstorming
  • Grammarly – editing and proofreading
  • Upwork or Fiverr – finding clients
  • Google Docs – free writing tool

Earning Potential:

Beginner freelancers typically charge $0.05–$0.10/word, while experienced writers with strong portfolios charge $0.15–$0.50/word. A 1,000-word article can earn $150–$500. According to ZipRecruiter, the average freelance writer earns around $68,000/year. With AI speeding up production, some people have reported completing 2–3x more work in the same time.

Social Proof:

AI-related work on Upwork grew 60% year-over-year, with freelancers on AI-assisted projects earning 44% more than other freelancers. Fiverr now has a dedicated AI services category. One Medium writer documented earning $3,000/month within 6 months of combining GPT with freelance writing.

2. Selling Canva Templates

Use AI tools to generate design ideas and copy, then build the actual templates in Canva. Sell them on Etsy or Gumroad as digital downloads. Once listed, they sell passively — no inventory, no shipping.

What You’ll Need / Tools:

  • Canva Pro – $15/month or free for students
  • ChatGPT – generate copy, naming ideas, niche research
  • Etsy – $0.20/listing fee + 6.5% transaction fee
  • Gumroad – 10% flat fee, no monthly charge

Earning Potential:

Templates sell for $12–$100 each. Monthly revenue for established sellers ranges from $1,000–$3,000 from multiple storefronts. Top earners do significantly more, success depends on niche selection and how much you promote. Hint: finance earns more than many other niches!

Social Proof:

Lauren Keys earned $4,300 selling Canva templates on Etsy. This is passive income, you create once and sell repeatedly. 

3. Create A Faceless YouTube Channel

Use AI to write scripts (ChatGPT), generate voiceovers (ElevenLabs), and create or edit video (Pictory, Runway, or Canva). You never need to appear on camera. Popular niches for faceless channels include personal finance, history, true crime, and educational explainers.

What You’ll Need / Tools:

  • ChatGPT – script writing
  • ElevenLabs – AI voiceovers ($5–$22/month)
  • Pictory – turns scripts into videos ($19/month)
  • Canva or CapCut – free video editing
  • VidIQ or TubeBuddy – YouTube SEO

Earning Potential:

New channels can earn $50–$500/month in their first year once monetized. Channels that find their format and grow can reach $500–$5,000/month by month 12–18. YouTube pays an average of $18 per 1,000 views with personal finance and education niches earn $10–$15 RPM (higher than average).

Social Proof:

Laura Evergreen documented her faceless channel income publicly on Medium, earning consistently in year two. Hazel Paradise published a full breakdown of building a faceless AI-only channel. Top faceless channels in finance niches like Fern earn $80,000+/month, though those take years to build.

Realistic annual income for a dedicated student channel could reach $12,000–$40,000 in year two.

4. AI Voiceover Income

ElevenLabs pays voice actors when paid users generate audio from their cloned voice in the Voice Library. You record a high-quality voice sample, upload it, and earn a share of revenue whenever someone uses it. This is as close to true passive income as it gets.

What You’ll Need / Tools:

  • ElevenLabs Creator Plan – $22/month to access Voice Library
  • A decent USB microphone – Blue Yeti, Audio-Technica AT2020 (~$50–$150)
  • Audacity – free recording and editing software
  • 30–180 minutes of clean audio recordings (more audio = better voice clone quality)

Earning Potential:

ElevenLabs pays approximately $0.03 per 1,000 characters of generated audio. Top earners in the Voice Library pull in $10,000/month. More realistic starting income: $50–$320/month for a well-submitted voice. ElevenLabs has paid out over $5 million total to voice contributors since launching the program.

Social Proof:

Writer Alijee documented earning $320/month from ElevenLabs on Medium after optimizing recording quality. ElevenLabs published their own data confirming $5M+ in total payouts.

Note: a rushed, low-quality upload may only earn $3 in two months — quality of recordings matters significantly.  

5. AI Chatbot Building For Small Businesses

Small businesses (especially local service businesses like medical offices, law firms, real estate agents, and restaurants) increasingly want customer service chatbots to handle FAQs, appointment scheduling, and lead capture. You don’t need to code. No-code platforms make this accessible.

What You’ll Need / Tools:

  • Chatbase – build GPT-powered chatbots with no code
  • Tidio or ManyChat – chatbot builders with free tiers
  • Zapier or Make (Integromat) – connect chatbots to calendars, CRMs, etc.
  • A simple portfolio/demo site – Carrd.co works fine ($19/year)

Earning Potential:

Entry-level: $300–$800 per setup + $50–$150/month maintenance. More experienced builders charge $800–$2,000 per setup. 

Social Proof:

The Side Hustle Nation documented multiple chatbot builders earning $3,000–$5,000/month by targeting a specific niche (healthcare, real estate). The no-code angle is what makes this viable for non-technical students. 

6. Selling AI Prompts

Prompt engineering (crafting high-quality inputs that get great outputs from AI models) has become a real skill people pay for. You can sell prompt packs on PromptBase, Etsy, or Gumroad. Popular categories include marketing copy prompts, image generation prompts (Midjourney), resume writing prompts, and business automation prompts.

What You’ll Need / Tools:

  • ChatGPT (free or Plus) – test and refine your prompts
  • Midjourney – if creating image prompts ($10/month)
  • PromptBase – dedicated marketplace for prompts
  • Etsy or Gumroad – higher traffic, more competition

Earning Potential:

Individual prompts sell for $2–$10 each. Prompt packs (bundles of 20–50 prompts around a theme) sell for $10–$50.

Demand for prompt engineers on Upwork and Fiverr has grown 300% since 2004, with hourly rates of $50–$150 for skilled practitioners. Most prompt sellers earn $100–$500/month passively while top sellers earn more.

Social Proof:

PromptBase has thousands of active sellers. The demand spike is backed by Upwork’s own data showing AI-related job postings growing 3.5x faster than all other categories. 

7. AI Social Media Content Creator

Many small businesses and local brands know they need consistent social media content but don’t have time to create it. Using AI tools, a student can manage content calendars, write captions, design graphics, and schedule posts for 3–5 clients at once.

What You’ll Need / Tools:

  • ChatGPT – caption writing, content ideas, hashtag research
  • Canva – graphics and Reels templates (free tier works)
  • Buffer or Later – scheduling ($15–$18/month)

Earning Potential:

Entry-level packages (10–15 posts/month per platform) typically sell for $200–$500/month per client. With 3–5 clients, that’s $600–$2,500/month. More experienced social media managers charge $1,000–$3,000/month per client. This is one of the most scalable student hustles because AI handles the repetitive content work.

Social Proof:

Dimitri shares how he started a social media agency before turning 18 and how he uses digital AI tools to help.

8. Create And Sell Study Materials And Digital Products

This one is uniquely well-suited for students: use AI to create high-quality study guides, flashcard decks, cheat sheets, practice exams, and class notes for courses you’re already taking. Sell them to classmates or list them on Gumroad, Etsy, or Studocu.

What You’ll Need / Tools:

  • ChatGPT – turn lecture notes into structured study guides
  • Notion – create polished, shareable study packs (free)
  • Anki or Quizlet – flashcard creation (free)
  • Gumroad – sell digital files easily
  • Etsy – good for templates and printable study tools

Earning Potential:

Individual study guides sell for $5–$20. A solid pack of guides for a popular course (chemistry, economics, organic biology) can earn $100–$500 per exam season. Students selling across multiple courses and subjects have reported $200–$800/month during peak academic periods.

This scales if you build study packs for widely-taken courses beyond your own campus.

Social Proof:

There’s lots of documented stories of students creating and selling study guides, earning $100+ per exam season. The market naturally grows as you take harder, more specialized courses. 

What To Expect Realistically

Every hustle here has documented proof behind it but none of them work without effort. Here’s what the income curve actually looks like for most students:

  • Months 1–2: Learning tools, building a portfolio or first listings. Income is minimal or zero.
  • Months 3–6: First clients or sales. Expect $100–$500/month if you’re consistent.
  • Months 6–12: Income scales with reputation and client base. $500–$2,000/month is realistic.
  • Year 2+: The best operators in these niches earn $3,000–$10,000+/month, but that takes real investment of time.

The students who succeed pick one hustle, get good at it, and build a reputation before jumping to the next thing. AI lowers the barrier to entry — it doesn’t remove the work entirely.

Editor: Colin Graves

The post Best AI-Powered Side Hustles For College Students In 2026 appeared first on The College Investor.

Inflation data and Bank of Canada decision lead busy week for mortgage watchers




Inflation, home sales and two central bank rate decisions could shape expectations for borrowing costs and the spring housing market.