The Dow Jones industrial average crossed 50,000 points for the first time on Friday, fueled by soaring technology stocks, strong corporate earnings, and hopes for lower interest rates. The Dow closed at 50,015.67 in New York, up 2.3% for the day. The S&P 500 rose 2%, while the Nasdaq Composite, heavy on tech stocks, climbed 2.2%. Earlier in the week, tech shares fell as investors questioned the huge investments in artificial intelligence. Cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, also saw sharp drops but recovered some losses on Friday. Despite geopolitical tensions, US stocks have rallied for months as investors remain optimistic about the economy. Former US President Donald Trump praised the record highs, linking them to his tariff policies. On social media last month, he wrote, "THANK YOU YOU MISTER TARIFF!!!" and claimed, "BOTH OUR NATIONAL AND FINANCIAL SECURITY HAVE NEVER BEEN STRONGER!" The aggressive trade policies, including high tariffs, have not deterred many investors. Chipmakers leading the AI boom have been key to the market surge. Nvidia, the world’s largest publicly traded company by market value at $4.5 trillion, led the Dow’s winners with a 7.9% increase. Its CEO Jensen Huang told CNBC, "demand for AI remained incredibly high," and spending on AI was "appropriate and sustainable." On the downside, Amazon shares fell 5.6% after announcing plans to spend $200 billion on AI and robotics this year, which made investors nervous. Overall, the US stock market’s record run shows strong faith in technology and AI, even as some concerns about valuations and trade linger.