31 Across

NYT Daily • August 3, 2025

Digital investment choices, informally

Answer:

CRYPTOS

Hint:

["**Hint:** \"They're not stocks or bonds, but many trade them like assets—short for a modern currency type.\"\n\nThis hint guides the solver toward thinking about alternative investments and the informal term for digital currencies without directly stating \"cryptocurrencies.\""]

Explanation:

**Explanation:** The clue *"Digital investment choices, informally"* leads to the answer **"CRYPTOS"** through the following breakdown: 1. **Digital investment choices** – This refers to cryptocurrencies, which are digital assets often used as investment vehicles. 2. **Informally** – The term *"crypto"* is a common informal abbreviation for *"cryptocurrency."* 3. **Pluralization** – The answer is in plural form (*"CRYPTOS"*) to match the word *"choices,"* implying multiple options. Thus, the clue cleverly combines the definition of cryptocurrencies as investment options with the informal abbreviation to arrive at the answer.