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Lefty meme warriors assemble: Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado has an NFT to sell you. 

Driving the news: For the mile-high price of $52.80 (corresponding to the elevation of Denver in feet), you can buy one of 2,022 digital tokens featuring a pair of sneakers, a green chili pepper, rainbow-colored mountains — and Polis' dog Gia, who's firing lasers from her eyes. 

Why it matters: Polis is the most high-profile politician yet to get into fundraising via NFTs. 

How it works: The NFT is essentially a digital souvenir that Polis is giving out in exchange for donations. Supporters can show off their collections and link to them as evidence of how early they supported any given candidate. 

Donors can pay with dollars via credit card. The NFTs live on the Flow blockchain, which is ecologically friendly. (It's the same chain used by NBA TopShot.)

For the time being, the NFTs can only be bought and not sold. That may eventually change, but it would rather defeat the purpose of spending money on a politician's NFT if the money doesn't go to the politician. 

Polis' NFTs will act as tickets to get donors into events, Brian Forde, CEO of Democratic fundraiser Numero, tells Axios.

This one gets you into an event where Polis will explain the meanings of the Easter eggs in the image.

What they're saying: "Nothing has changed with grassroots fundraising over the past 10 years," says Forde. "We’re giving campaigns a new tool. It’s more engaging, fun, and social."

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Exclusive: Colorado Governor Jared Polis fundraises with NFTs

The Democrat is the most high-profile politician yet to get into fundraising via NFTs.

What the NFT looks like. Image courtesy of Jared Polis for Colorado

Lefty meme warriors assemble: Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado has an NFT to sell you. Driving the news: For the mile-high price of $52.80 (corresponding to the elevation of Denver in feet), you can <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="buy" data-vars-click-url="https://secure.electables.com/contribute/GovPolis1stNFT" data-vars-content-id="563cbbf9-36c5-402c-8728-265eb358b759" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Colorado Governor Jared Polis fundraises with NFTs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://secure.electables.com/contribute/GovPolis1stNFT" target="_blank">buy</a> one of 2,022 digital tokens featuring a pair of sneakers, a green chili pepper, rainbow-colored mountains — and Polis&#x27; dog Gia, who&#x27;s firing lasers from her eyes.

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Axios Denver, anchored by John Frank and Alayna Alvarez, is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard.

People retiring in Colorado and across the country are among the first generation to rely on private savings instead of pensions to navigate the financial vortex of retirement.

Why it matters: 401(k) plans and IRAs don't generate steady and predictable income like pensions or Social Security. The result is a feeling of perpetual insecurity, even among those who've amassed substantial savings, writes Axios' Felix Salmon.

By the numbers: People 65 and older account for about 12% of Denver County's population, per Census Bureau figures.

Statewide, the senior population is expected to grow 47% by 2040, from 859,000 in 2020 to nearly 1.3 million older residents, according to a Georgetown Center for Retirement Initiatives report.

Yes, but: 41% of private sector employees in the state lack access to a retirement savings plan at work.

20% of Colorado seniors between 2018 and 2019 relied on their Social Security for at least 90% of their income, the report shows.

The big picture: For most retired Americans, many of whom left the workforce as long ago as the last century, guaranteed income still covers more than half of their total monthly spending.

Today's retirees find themselves in a much more uncertain situation, with a host of spending needs — some foreseeable, some coming out of the blue — all having to be funded out of a volatile and unpredictable retirement portfolio.

In a recent Goldman Sachs survey, 51% of retirees reported living on less than half the income they enjoyed pre-retirement.

What's next: Those numbers are certain to rise as guaranteed incomes make up an ever-smaller proportion of retirement income.

Are you recently retired or planning to retire soon? If so, Axios wants to hear about your experience.

Share your thoughts on this form if you're willing to speak with one of our reporters. Some responses may be featured in future Axios newsletters and on Axios.com.

Coloradans relying on 401(k) income face retirement challenges

20% of Colorado seniors between 2018 and 2019 relied on their Social Security for at least 90% of their income, according to one study.

Illustration of a middle-aged person holding their head in their hands with arrows and zigzag lines in the background.

People <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="retiring" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/15/retirement-savings-enough-401k-roth-stocks" data-vars-content-id="a28abcb1-067f-4677-b237-7038e885e9d7" data-vars-headline="Coloradans relying on 401(k) income face retirement challenges" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/15/retirement-savings-enough-401k-roth-stocks" target="_self">retiring</a> in Colorado and across the country are among the first generation to rely on private savings instead of pensions to navigate the financial vortex of retirement.Why it matters: 401(k) plans and IRAs don&#x27;t generate steady and predictable income like pensions or Social Security. The result is a feeling of perpetual insecurity, even among those who&#x27;ve amassed substantial savings, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="writes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/27/retirement-income-us-401k" data-vars-content-id="a28abcb1-067f-4677-b237-7038e885e9d7" data-vars-headline="Coloradans relying on 401(k) income face retirement challenges" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/27/retirement-income-us-401k" target="_self">writes</a> Axios&#x27; Felix Salmon.

Data: National Center for Education Statistics; Chart: Axios Visuals

The cost of going to college has increased faster than inflation for years.

Yes, but: The latest numbers show college costs have not spiked in real terms. For private four-year colleges, they've actually been falling.

What's happening: Don't look at soaring tuition rates. Instead, look at the amount students actually pay, which is invariably lower.

Colleges believe that inflated tuition costs combined with larger scholarships are more attractive than a lower tuition rate. So now many students get some form of financial aid.

By the numbers: Median college tuition paid increased less than 1% in the Denver metro area from the 2018-19 school year to the 2021-22 term, according to an analysis of National Center for Education Statistics that included 14 schools.

Tuition paid at seven public schools, including Metro State, CU Denver, School of Mines and community colleges, remained flat at $4,745 in that time period.

Private school tuition increased 12% to a median $21,615.

Of note: The analysis did not include the state's public flagship campus, University of Colorado Boulder.

Why it matters: The Biden administration's talk about forgiving billions in student debt is raising fears that schools will hike their rates on the notion that loans taken out to pay for higher tuition will be forgiven.

The big picture: The amount that Americans pay for college tuition is ultimately set according to the rules of supply and demand. Right now, thanks to overbuilding, a falling birth rate, and a decline in foreign students, there's significantly more supply than there is demand — and that means flat or declining prices.

Total freshmen enrollment in 2021 was 2,116,631 students, per the National Student Clearinghouse. That's down almost 20% from the 2,592,703 freshmen who enrolled in 2015.

How college tuition in Denver compares to the U.S.

The latest numbers show college costs have not spiked in real terms.

Estimated annual tuition and fees among four-year colleges; 2021-22 school year

The cost of going to college has increased faster than inflation for years.Yes, but: The latest numbers show college costs have not spiked in real terms. For private four-year colleges, they&#x27;ve actually been falling.

Felix Salmon

Featured stories

How college tuition in Denver compares to the U.S.

Coloradans relying on 401(k) income face retirement challenges

Exclusive: Colorado Governor Jared Polis fundraises with NFTs