Something to look forward to: Amazon managed to revolutionize e-commerce with fast and affordable shipping, but it isn’t resting on its laurels. The Seattle-based online retailer recently announced plans to further expand the reach of its same-day and next-day delivery services to tens of millions of additional customers in the US by the end of the year.

Once the calendar rolls over to 2026, Amazon’s speedy delivery options will be available in more than 4,000 smaller cities and towns across the country. The company said the expansion goes beyond speed, and is more about transforming daily life for those living in rural communities that typically live further away from brick-and-mortar retailers and face longer wait times when ordering goods online.

That said, speed really is the key here – especially when it comes to ordering everyday essentials like paper towels or dog food. These are the types of goods you often don’t realize you need more of until you run out, and having to wait two days or longer for delivery isn’t exactly convenient.

Amazon is confident the investment – totaling more than $4 billion by the end of the year to triple the size of its delivery network – will pay off, and they have the data to prove it. In the more than 1,000 small communities where Amazon has already started offering faster delivery, customers are said to be purchasing essentials at a “meaningfully higher” rate. Among the top 50 repurchased items for same-day delivery in these regions, more than 90 percent are everyday essentials.

In addition to expanding the reach of the delivery network, Amazon is also working to convert existing rural delivery stations into hybrid hubs that can serve multiple functions. They’re also using AI to predict which items will be most popular among locals, and prioritizing inventory as to not run out.

Prime subscribers in select communities have access to unlimited same-day delivery on orders over $25. According to the product page, same-day orders are delivered as fast as five hours. Prime subscriptions start at $14.99 per month or $139 annually, and include a host of additional perks. Young adults and those on select government assistance may qualify for a reduced rate.

Robinhood Markets has revealed plans to offer physical cash delivery and an AI-powered trading assistant to select customers.

In a blog post published on March 27, the firm said its online banking division, Robinhood Banking, will soon provide savings accounts to Gold-tier subscribers via Coastal Community Bank.

Ordering an Uber for Money

One of the standout features of the service is an on-demand cash delivery option, allowing users to receive cash at home similarly to ordering from Uber or Postmates.

“You could be sitting at home and decide to get a cash delivery the same way you’d want to order an Uber or a Postmates,” said Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev during a livestream announcement.

He added that while many services have evolved with technology, banking has remained tied to traditional methods like ATMs and physical branches.

Historically, cash delivery was a luxury offered to high-net-worth clients through armored vehicles.

Robinhood’s offering aims to modernize this concept, though specifics about who delivers the cash and the logistics remain unclear.

The company’s terms indicate that delivery coverage will depend on geographic factors and travel routes.

Robinhood also announced it will launch a new feature called Robinhood Strategies, providing users with curated investment options that include single stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

This will be accompanied later this year by an AI research assistant named Cortex, available exclusively to $5-per-month Gold subscribers.

Cortex is designed to offer real-time analysis, insights, and personalized trading suggestions. Tenev said the assistant was built after extensive feedback from users over a two-year development period.

Abhishek Fatehpuria, Robinhood’s VP of product management, confirmed that the firm is exploring ways to integrate cryptocurrencies more deeply into its platform.

This follows the company’s recent launch of a prediction betting market on March 17, which helped drive an 8% surge in its stock.

Despite recent innovations, Robinhood’s stock (HOOD) closed down 7.1% on March 26 at $44.73, with an additional 2.84% dip after hours, according to Google Finance.

Earlier this month, Robinhood expanded its crypto offerings by listing meme coins like Pengu (PENGU), Pnut (PNUT), and Popcat (POPCAT), and in January, the platform introduced futures contracts tied to assets like Bitcoin.

Massachusetts Regulator Probes Robinhood Over Prediction Markets Offering

Just recently, Massachusetts securities regulators launched an investigation into Robinhood’s prediction markets, which allow users to place bets on various real-world events—including college basketball tournaments.

Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin confirmed that his office issued a subpoena to Robinhood last week.

The subpoena requests details on the platform’s marketing strategies and the number of Massachusetts-based users participating in event contract trading related to college basketball.

The new regulatory trouble comes shortly after Robinhood Crypto revealed that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially closed its investigation into the platform without taking any enforcement action.

The probe, which began last spring over concerns about potential unregistered securities sales, ended on February 21.

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