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Amkor Technology (NASDAQ:AMKR) and Ichor Holdings (NASDAQ:ICHR) both reported Q4 2025 earnings on February 9, 2026. One packages the chips powering AI infrastructure. The other supplies the gas delivery systems that make chip manufacturing possible. Both sit deep inside the AI hardware supply chain, and neither has attracted significant market attention: Amkor’s stock trades at roughly $54 and Ichor saw only a modest ~7.7% move following its Q4 print.

AI Packaging Momentum vs. a Restructuring Inflection Point Amkor’s Q4 told a clean growth story. Advanced products hit $1.58 billion, representing 84% of Q4 net sales, driven by AI infrastructure and high-performance computing demand. Gross margin expanded to 16.7% from 15.1% a year earlier, a direct result of richer product mix and stronger factory utilization. New CEO Kevin Engel set the tone clearly:

“2025 was a pivotal year for Amkor. We delivered strong results with record Advanced packaging and Computing revenue, executed on our strategic initiatives, and strengthened our position in the fastest growing areas of the semiconductor industry.”

Engel spent two decades at the firm before stepping into the CEO seat, so the continuity is real.

Ichor’s quarter looked messier. Revenue fell 4.2% year-over-year to $223.6 million, and GAAP net loss came in at $15.96 million due to restructuring charges tied to exiting Scotland and Korea operations. Strip out the noise and the picture improves. Non-GAAP EPS came in at $0.01 versus a consensus estimate of -$0.06, a 116.67% beat. CEO Phil Barros signaled the worst is behind them: “Early indications of customer demand entering the year provide us with a first-quarter revenue outlook reflecting solidly upward momentum from Q4’s trough levels.”

Metric Amkor (Q4 2025) Ichor (Q4 2025) Revenue $1.89B $223.6M Gross Margin 16.7% 11.7% (non-GAAP) Q1 2026 Revenue Guide $1.60B-$1.70B $240M-$260M Market Cap ~$10.6B ~$1.44B Aggressive Bet vs. Lean-and-Recover Amkor is spending aggressively. FY2026 CapEx guidance of $2.5B-$3.0B dwarfs the $904.6 million spent in FY2025, including a new advanced packaging and test campus under construction in Arizona. This is a company betting its balance sheet that AI chip packaging demand keeps compounding. The risk is real: top 10 customers represent 73% of revenue, and high fixed costs mean utilization rates matter enormously.

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Ichor is running the opposite playbook. FY2025 CapEx was $36.2 million, tightening its geographic footprint rather than expanding it. The margin improvement story is early-stage but credible. Barros acknowledged that “gross margin improvement strategies are just beginning to take shape” for 2026.

Both Could Surprise, But for Different Reasons Amkor’s Q1 gross margin deserves close attention. Guidance implies a drop to 12.5%-13.5% from Q4’s 16.7%, which is seasonal but still a meaningful compression. For Ichor, the question is whether the restructuring cleanup actually unlocks the margin leverage management is promising. Analysts have a consensus target of $46.86 on Ichor, and AMKR’s analyst target sits at $56.25 versus a current price of $42.99.

Amkor is a larger, established player riding the AI packaging wave with a clear capacity expansion thesis. Ichor is a smaller-cap name that reported restructuring charges in Q4 2025 and is guiding for revenue growth in Q1 2026. Both trade at roughly 1.5x revenue, making neither obviously cheap nor expensive. Both companies operate as essential infrastructure providers within the AI hardware supply chain, with results and guidance reflecting their respective positions in the semiconductor ecosystem.

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Skyworks Solutions (NASDAQ:SWKS) and Qorvo (NASDAQ:QRVO) just reported earnings as direct RF chip competitors, but here is the twist: they announced a merger that would create a roughly $22 billion combined RF and analog semiconductor company, expected to close in early 2027. These may be the last meaningful earnings to compare as separate businesses.

Skyworks Beats on Execution. Qorvo Beats on Margins. Skyworks posted Q1 FY26 revenue of $1.035 billion, beating estimates, with CEO Phil Brace noting “We delivered results above our expectations for the fourth consecutive quarter, with outperformance across revenue, gross margin, and non-GAAP earnings.” Four consecutive beats is not luck. That is a management team that has reset expectations conservatively and then executed.

The growth beyond mobile is real. Skyworks called out Wi-Fi 7 design wins, expanded automotive connectivity programs, and next-gen isolation solutions for AI server power supplies. Broad Markets is still smaller than Mobile, but it diversifies the story away from Apple dependency.

Qorvo’s most recent reported quarter showed ACG revenue of $777 million, up 36% sequentially, with non-GAAP gross margin of 49.7%. That margin profile is genuinely impressive for a mobile-heavy chip supplier. CEO Bob Bruggeworth pointed to defense and aerospace alongside wearable power management ICs as growth contributors beyond smartphones.

Metric Skyworks (Q1 FY26) Qorvo (Q2 FY26) Revenue $1.035B $1.058B Non-GAAP Gross Margin ~41% 49.7% Dividend Yield 5.1% None Market Cap ~$8.2B ~$7.2B One Is Diversifying Quietly. The Other Is Cutting to Grow. Skyworks is building toward a world where RF matters beyond the smartphone. Wi-Fi 7 modules, LoRaWAN front-end chips for IoT, and AI server power isolation represent sticky, design-win-driven revenue that compounds quietly. The risk is that Mobile still dominates, and Q2 FY26 guidance points to a roughly 20% sequential Mobile revenue decline due to seasonality.

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Qorvo is taking a more surgical path. Management is deliberately resizing its lower-tier Android business, with a $300 million revenue decline projected in fiscal 2027, while targeting gross margins above 50% and EPS approaching $7 in that same year. That margin-for-revenue trade only works if the HPA defense and infrastructure segments keep growing.

The Merger Backdrop Changes Everything You Should Watch The real forward-looking question is not which company wins the next quarter. It is whether this deal closes cleanly. Merger terms give Qorvo shareholders $32.50 in cash plus 0.960 Skyworks shares per share, with Qorvo holding roughly 37% of the combined entity. Shareholder lawsuits, activist pressure from Starboard Value, and regulatory scrutiny all create real execution risk between now and early 2027.

Watch Skyworks’ Broad Markets growth rate and Qorvo’s HPA margin trajectory as the two most meaningful signals of how the combined company may perform post-close. Skyworks’ $0.71 quarterly dividend and four straight beats reflect a management team executing consistently. Whether the combined entity’s margin restructuring thesis plays out will depend on Qorvo’s HPA segment growth and regulatory approval before early 2027.

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The U.S. Justice Department has filed a memorandum supporting Argentina's bid to suspend a discovery process in a ​New York court case tied to the 2012 nationalization of ‌state oil company YPF, Argentina's Treasury Attorney's Office said on Saturday.

It's been a wild year for artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. The technology continues to advance and demonstrate just how impactful it could be. Yet investors are a bit concerned about the significant capital expenditures these companies have committed to building out AI infrastructure. AI companies, even large ones in the "Magnificent Seven," took on debt to fund the buildouts, and investors are unclear whether the returns will justify the expense.

That said, most Wall Street analysts believe much of the sell-off is overblown and do see opportunities. Here are two AI stocks that Wall Street analysts think could surge 47% and 54%, based on consensus estimates.

Image source: Getty Images.

Microsoft It's hard to imagine that a company like Microsoft (MSFT 1.57%), with everything it has going for it, could see such a big sell-off in recent months. Not only does the company operate a strong, diverse tech conglomerate without AI, but Microsoft is expected to be one of the largest beneficiaries of what some are calling the fourth industrial revolution.

However, the stock has stalled as Microsoft has already spent over $72 billion in capital expenditures (capex) through the first half of its fiscal year 2026, which ends in June. Capex has come in higher than expected, and most of it has been spent on AI infrastructure, such as graphics processing units (GPUs) and data centers.

Furthermore, investors seem somewhat disappointed in Microsoft Copilot, the company's AI chatbot and assistant that is a big part of its AI strategy. The company revealed on its most recent earnings call that Copilot has 15 million paid members. That's a small percentage of its total Microsoft 365 subscribers and a far cry from what the big AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Claude have, although Microsoft may not see Copilot as a direct competitor.

Despite the struggles, Wall Street analysts see the stock as a strong buy. Of the 33 Wall Street analysts who have issued research reports on the company in the past three months, 30 have a buy rating, while three have a hold rating, according to TipRanks. The average price target implies roughly 47% upside from current levels.

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Jefferies analyst Brent Thill recently reiterated a buy rating on the stock with a $675 price target, implying 66% upside. Thill sees Microsoft's end-to-end platform, encompassing its 450 million Microsoft 365 subscribers and Azure cloud, as a key advantage. The analyst also has the stock trading at about 21 times his projected fiscal year 2027 earnings per share, which isn't an expensive valuation historically.

Ultimately, while Microsoft's Copilot growth has been somewhat disappointing so far, it could also be a source of future upside if it begins to ramp up. I also believe the company's well-diversified businesses somewhat insulate it from being a pure bet on AI.

Oracle The cloud provider Oracle (ORCL 2.54%) has seen its stock swing wildly over the past six months. After a blockbuster earnings report in September in which the company reported over $450 billion in remaining performance obligations, which is contracted revenue that is expected to be collected in future periods, the company's stock exploded higher.

Oracle had burst onto the scene as an AI data center player in a major way. However, the rally was short-lived when it became clear that a major part of the RPOs came from OpenAI, which seemed to be striking AI data center deals with anyone and everyone. Oracle also needed to take on significant debt to fund the build-out of these data centers, and investors had concerns about margins in this business.

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In Oracle's most recent earnings report, the company beat Wall Street's consensus estimates and raised its fiscal year 2027 revenue guidance by $1 billion. Oracle also reported strong cloud revenue and a strong backlog, somewhat assuaging investor concerns.

Of the 32 analysts who have issued a research report over the past three months, 28 have buy ratings, and four say "hold." The average price target implies 54% upside, according to TipRanks.

Deutsche Bank analyst Brad Zelnick recently reiterated a buy rating on the stock, while lowering his price target from $375 to $300 per share. However, that still implies significant upside, with the stock trading around $166 per share as of this writing. Zelnick is encouraged by the company's unsecured bond offering in February, which received an investment-grade rating, as well as by OpenAI's recent $110 billion private financing round.

I think it's hard to say what will happen with AI right now. Will it keep accelerating as it has, or is some kind of pause inevitable? Obviously, if OpenAI can fulfill its contract with Oracle, the stock should zip higher. With Oracle's stock down 46% in the past six months and the stock now trading at about 22 times forward earnings, the risk-reward proposition has improved significantly.

I think investors can at least take a smaller position, as the upside could be immense.

Micron Technology (MU +5.08%) has emerged as one of the top AI investment picks in recent months. The stock has been on an absolute tear and is up 180% over the past six months. After a run like that, it's reasonable to reassess the stock and see if it could climb higher, or if this rally was too far and too fast.

Let's take a look at Micron Technology and see if it's worth buying right now or not.

Image source: Getty Images.

Memory chip demand is unprecedented Micron makes memory chips, an important part of any computing application. Unlike with logic chips, there really aren't a lot of differentiating characteristics between one company's product and its peers. This has caused the memory chip price to become fairly commoditized, which eliminates pricing power. Micron's business is subject to the demand for memory chips, and there has rarely been higher demand, thanks to the massive AI buildout.

Because all memory production is spoken for, prices for chips have skyrocketed. Just take a look at what the price of a RAM stick was a year ago versus what it is today -- that will tell you how much it has gone up. Because of the massive demand, Micron's profits are soaring, which is why investors are buying the stock.

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While competitors are racing to get new production online to meet demand, this takes some time. Micron expects its Idaho facility to be producing chips by mid-2027, and to have a second facility by 2028. That is needed because Micron expects huge memory chip demand growth over the next few years.

The total addressable market for its high bandwidth memory (HBM, the type needed for AI applications) is expected to rise from $35 billion in 2025 to $100 billion by 2028. That's huge growth over the next few years, and could cause Micron's stock to skyrocket.

However, there's one thing investors must keep in mind: cyclicality. The memory chip market is notoriously cyclical, and once AI demand has been satisfied, it may be a long time before Micron experiences demand of this magnitude again. This will cause memory prices to crash and Micron to lose its cash cow. When this would occur is anyone's guess. It could be in several years, a decade, or the next month. This unknown is why Micron's stock isn't priced all that expensively.

MU PE Ratio (Forward) data by YCharts.

The stock trades at 11 times forward earnings, which may seem cheap, but that's the market pricing in its cyclicality. If AI demand persists for several years, Micron could be a genius investment. However, if the memory chip supply constraint is remedied in a short timeframe, Micron's stock may not be the best buy, as prices would come down, dragging profits with them. Micron is not a set-it-and-forget-it stock; investors continuously monitor it to make sure their thesis is intact. If you're willing to do that, then Micron could be a genius stock pick right now.

I get it; it’s not an easy time for a legacy automaker to be selling electric vehicles, what with incentives being gutted and Chinese automakers knocking at the door. But Honda is taking it to another level.

This week, Honda killed its paltry — and frankly unpromising — EV programs. What little motivation Honda had to compete in the EV arena is apparently gone, and along with it, any chance of surviving the current wave of disruption that’s sweeping the industry.

The company casts blame on U.S. tariffs and Chinese competition, two easy targets. But it never really had a viable EV strategy to begin with.

Honda kicked things off on Thursday by halting development of the electric Acura RDX and the Honda 0 sedan and SUV, three models that were the company’s first ground-up EVs — but about which very little was shared with outsiders. It continued on Friday, with Automotive News reporting that Honda was going to stop production of the Prologue, a vehicle that was essentially designed and entirely built by GM. 

The decision could backfire in a number of different ways, but there are two that I’d argue are most important. By shelving EVs, Honda will fall farther behind in two of the biggest shifts sweeping the automotive industry: electric drivetrains and software-defined vehicles.

Missed EV opportunities To Honda — and to many legacy automakers still early in the transition— an EV is just a car with a different drivetrain. I can imagine Honda executives thinking that they can wait out the awkward transition period and, when motors and batteries are fully sorted, simply swap out the fossil fuel bits. How hard could it be?

That’s a mistake, of course. Many automakers have found that dropping batteries into a car originally designed for an internal combustion engine doesn’t work out so well. It might shortcut the development cycle, but the resulting product ends up heavy, inefficient, and more costly to produce.

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When developed as an original product, EVs offer automakers a chance to rethink the automobile, and in the process, make it cheaper. 

Take Ford, for example. The Mustang Mach E has been a sales success, but not a financial one for Ford. The Mach E is based on a heavily modified version of the platform that also underpins the Escape, a fossil fuel crossover. Part of the problem, Ford CEO Chris Farley said in a recent interview, was that legacy engineering decisions held the product back: The Mach E’s wiring harness is 70 pounds heavier than Tesla’s, for example. Small errors like that compound themselves in a product as complex as an automobile.

Honda will also miss out on several learning opportunities. There’s learning by doing, both in development and manufacturing. There’s also learning to cultivate new suppliers and supply chains. It will also miss out on receiving critical customer feedback — what do people really value in their EVs?

Sayonara, software-defined vehicles Here, Honda is setting itself up for failure on the second disruption sweeping the automotive industry: the software-defined vehicle (SDV), which has core capabilities that can be upgraded and improved over time.

Consumers, mostly those who buy EVs from the likes of Tesla, Rivian, and BYD, have grown accustomed to the frequent updates, slick infotainment software, and advanced driver assistance systems of Tesla, Rivians, Nio or Xiaomi. Honda has yet to make significant progress in any of those domains.

SDVs don’t have to be EVs, but they tend to go hand-in-hand. The large battery in an EV makes it easier to feed powerful computers, and it allows things like over-the-air updates to happen when the car is parked and “off.” Could Honda make a fossil fuel SDV? Sure, but it’s unlikely to for the same reason it’s backing away from EVs: the old way of doing things is easier and more profitable, for now.

What does Honda stand for? Honda is facing an identity crisis. At its core, it’s an internal combustion engine company. It makes really good engines, and that’s starting to matter less and less. 

Other traits of its cars are also under assault. For years, the company has prided itself on making driver’s cars. They’re lightweight, efficient, and handle well. But when the car drives itself, what does a “driver’s car” even mean?

Putting autonomy aside, I’d argue that the market for a driver’s car is limited anyway. People are drawn to Honda because they’re reliable and reasonably priced. The fact that they handle well is icing on the cake, maybe helping consumers break a tie if they’re torn between two brands.

But EVs promise to be significantly more reliable than fossil fuel vehicles, and as Chinese automakers show, once battery prices come down, so do overall vehicle costs. If Honda can’t compete on reliability or price, consumers will balk.

That already appears to be happening in China. Honda said as much in its recent earnings report. “Honda was unable to deliver products that offer value for money better than that of newer EV manufacturers, resulting in a decline in competitiveness,” the company said. Headwinds in China contributed to the company’s nearly $16 billion losses last year. Without a plan for EVs, it’s only a matter of time before Honda suffers the same fate elsewhere.

Arm Holdings (ARM +0.41%) sits at the heart of the smartphone industry, but a new shift toward edge AI could dramatically expand its long-term opportunity. As new architectures increase royalties per chip, Arm's licensing model may quietly compound revenue. The challenge is deciding whether the technology can justify the company's current premium valuation.

Stock prices used were the market prices of March. 6, 2026. The video was published on March 13, 2026.

Rick Orford has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Rick Orford is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through their link, they will earn some extra money that supports their channel. Their opinions remain their own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.

Colombia's Energy Minister Edwin Palma ​said Venezuela's state oil ‌company PDVSA intends to end a contract ​with Colombia's Ecopetrol ​over the Antonio Ricaurte pipeline, ⁠saying there was ​insufficient investment to repair ​it.

Rubrik (RBRK) stands out in cybersecurity, delivering a strong quarter and beating expectations despite sector-wide AI disruption fears. RBRK is well-positioned for growth as generative AI increases data volume and the need for resilient cybersecurity solutions. Strategic partnerships with leaders like CRWD, ZS, PANW, MSFT, and OKTA reinforce RBRK's competitive positioning.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)---- $HTGC--HTGC Investors Have Opportunity to Join Hercules Capital, Inc. Fraud Investigation with the Schall Law Firm.

NEW YORK, March 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Picard Medical, Inc. (NYSE American: PMI) between September 2, 2025 and October 31, 2025, inclusive (the “Class Period”), of the important April 13, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Picard Medical securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Picard Medical class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=52263 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than April 13, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved, at that time, the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose material adverse facts about Picard’s business, operations, and the true nature of its securities trading throughout the Class Period. Specifically, defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Picard was the subject of a fraudulent stock promotion scheme involving social media-based misinformation and impersonated financial professionals; (2) insiders and/or affiliates used offshore or nominee accounts to facilitate the coordinated dumping of shares during a price inflation campaign; (3) Picard’s public statements and risk disclosures omitted any mention of the false rumors and artificial trading activity driving the stock price; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendants’ positive statements about Picard’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

To join the Picard Medical class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=52263 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor’s ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

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The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
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New York, NY 10016
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Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
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www.rosenlegal.com

, /PRNewswire/ --

Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of DNOW Inc. (NYSE: DNOW) resulting from allegations that DNOW Inc. may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public.

So What: If you purchased DNOW Inc. securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses.

What to do next: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=53946 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

What is this about: On February 20, 2026, StockStory published an article entitled "Why DNOW (DNOW) Shares Are Getting Obliterated Today." The article stated that DNOW shares fell "after the company reported disappointing fourth-quarter 2025 financial results, which included a significant loss and missed Wall Street's expectations."

On this news, DNOW stock fell 19.1% on February 20, 2026.

Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions.  Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved, at that time, the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. At the time Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

     Laurence Rosen, Esq.
     Phillip Kim, Esq.
     The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
     275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
     New York, NY 10016
     Tel: (212) 686-1060
     Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
     Fax: (212) 202-3827
     [email protected]
     www.rosenlegal.com

SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 14: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg departs E. Barrett Prettyman United States Court House on April 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has begun an antitrust trial against Meta over the company's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp and allegations that the company holds a monopoly over the social networking market. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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Meta stock has lost 23% of its value since peaking last August.

In the last week, the social media giant delayed the release of its Avocado AI model from this month until May or later, according to Investor’s Business Daily.

The delay was prompted by Avocado’s failure to perform as well as the top offering from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, reported the New York Times. The Instagram parent may license Gemini models for Meta’s AI products, added the Times.

Problems with AI models are nothing new for Meta. In May 2025, the company delayed Behemoth – the largest version of its Llama 4 models – after early versions “produced misleading benchmark results,” wrote Business Insider.

These product problems are not deterring the company’s AI spending. Meta has bet billions hiring top AI researchers, intends to allocate $600 billion to build AI data centers, and this year expects to boost by 88% its capital expenditures to as much as $135 billion, added the Times.

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In the wake of rising cash outflows and less than stellar performance of AI models, something may have to give.

How so? Meta plans to cut “20% or more of the company, three sources familiar with the matter,” told Reuters. "This is speculative reporting about theoretical approaches," Meta spokesperson Andy Stone ⁠said in response to questions about the plan.

On a percentage basis, Meta’s reported job cuts would pale in comparison to Block’s 40% job reduction, noted my Forbes column. Since Meta employed nearly 79,000 people at the end of last year, according to Reuters, a 20% cut would eliminate far more jobs – 15,800 – nearly four times the number cut from Block.

Is Meta stock a bargain? While the Facebook parent may not to take the AI chatbot market lead from rivals like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google; Meta stock could rise if AI in its advertising platform drives expectations-beating growth.

Or investors could tire of Meta’s high AI spending and low payoff – sending its stock further down. Read on to explore both sides.

Can Meta Launch AI Models That Win Market Share?While Meta enjoys some advantages which could enable the company to expand the market for an industry-leading AI chatbot, it has repeatedly failed to develop one on its own as noted above with Llama 4, Behemoth, and Avocado.

Meta then decided to try acquiring talent – paying $14.3 billion for 49% of data labeling startup Scale AI. However, turmoil around the company’s CEO Alexandr Wang and the departure of Yann LeCun suggest Meta is having trouble getting value from its AI talent.

Moreover, discussions of licensing Google’s Gemini seems like an admission of defeat in Meta’s quest to build its own industry-leading AI model.

Nevertheless, Meta has other unique strengths that could propel growth. Meta’s access to 3.35 billion daily active users across its Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp social media sites is a valuable dataset for training AI models and targeting advertisements to boost conversion rates, reported The Motley Fool.

Meta is already achieving more rapid growth by using AI. For example, the number of advertisers using at least one of Meta’s Advantage+ creative suite’s video generation features is rising 20% sequentially, according to Nasdaq. The result is better ads that generate more revenue.

Finally, Meta has ample capital resources – ending 2025 with $81.6 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, according to Yahoo Finance. Thus Meta can afford to keep trying to overtake its AI chatbot rivals.

But those rivals have a critical asset that Meta lacks – a cloud-services business. More specifically, although Meta’s AI capex is at the level of Amazon, Microsoft and Google, Meta must monetize its AI investments through advertising alone because it lacks the cash generating cloud services businesses that these rivals operate, reported PYMNTS.com.

Meta’s competition is not sitting still. With Google’s Gemini 3 getting positive market feedback and OpenAI improving GPT-5, Meta’s ability to catch up and surpass these rivals is weakening, according to Techbuzz.

Can Meta Stock Rise Further?Meta stock can rise from here on valuation re-expansion – from the company’s current price-to-earnings ratio of 21 -- and advertising strength alone.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, strong user engagement and an 18% increase in ad impressions resulted in 24% revenue growth, reported Yahoo Finance, and 30% growth is expected for the first quarter of 2026.

But winning market share from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google in the AI model market — meaning, competing for developers and enterprises paying for application programming interface access — is a fight Meta is losing badly, and the Avocado story does not suggest a reason for that problem to reverse itself.

The good news? Meta stock could rise more than 31% to reach Wall Street’s average price target of $858.86.

PASCAGOULA, Miss., March 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII’s (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division celebrated 70 apprentice school graduates during a ceremony at the shipyard today. The event honored the newest class to complete the Department of Labor-registered program, which combines classroom instruction, paid on-the-job training and industry-recognized credentials.

“The future of shipbuilding depends on skilled craftsmen and women who care deeply about their work, and today’s graduates should wear that responsibility with pride,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Blanchette. “What they have learned is more than a trade, it is the discipline to do what’s right even when no one is watching. And the timing could not be more important; Our Navy is counting on the commitment and capability they bring to the ships our nation depends on.”

Since its founding in 1952, the Ingalls Apprentice School has graduated more than 4,000 shipbuilders and today supports more than 750 students who contribute directly to Ingalls’ operations. The school provides specialized training in 15 U.S. Department of Labor–registered trades, equipping apprentices with the technical skills, strong work ethic and hands-on experience needed to advance into journeyman roles. Apprentices earn competitive wages and receive a comprehensive benefits package beginning 30 days after starting the program.

Photos accompanying this release are available at: https://hii.com/news/hiis-ingalls-shipbuilding-celebrates-apprentice-school-graduates-2/

Annually, Ingalls recognizes apprentices who excel in academics, craftsmanship, leadership and dedication. This year, joiner apprentice Sawyer Briggs set the standard for his class and was named Overall Apprentice of the Year.

“I’m proud of the journey that has brought me to this point in my career at Ingalls,” said Briggs. “This program prepared me with the skills and confidence needed to build the ships that support our Navy and our nation, and I take great pride in the craftsmanship we deliver every day.”

Ingalls Shipbuilding, the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi, has designed, built and maintained amphibious ships and destroyers for the U.S. Navy for more than 87 years. The apprentice school is widely regarded as the backbone of Ingalls’ workforce, with many graduates advancing from craft roles into leadership positions and senior management throughout their careers at the shipyard.

Learn more about the Ingalls Apprentice School at: www.hii.com/careers/ingalls-apprentice-school/

About HII

HII is America’s largest shipbuilder, delivering the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain mission technologies, including unmanned systems, to U.S. and allied defense customers. HII is the largest producer of unmanned underwater vehicles for the U.S. Navy and the world.

With a more than 140-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII builds and integrates defense capabilities extending from the core fleet to C6ISR, AI/ML, EW and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit:

HII on the web: https://www.HII.com/HII on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamHIIHII on X: https://www.twitter.com/WeAreHIIHII on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WeAreHIIHII on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearehii
Contact:
Kimberly Aguillard
[email protected]
(228) 355-5663

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7f48a5ca-a7b4-4ce6-a1f1-9c116e82947d

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Ethereum and Solana are currently leading developer activity in the crypto space, while developer activity in the broader ecosystem declines. This comes as prices continue to struggle with the ongoing war between the U.S. and Iran, which is sparking rising oil prices. 

Ethereum And Solana Lead Developer Activity Amid Broad Decline Artemis data show that the Ethereum and Solana ecosystems are leading in developer activity amid declines in weekly commits and weekly active developers in crypto. In the Ethereum ecosystem, the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) is seeing the most activity, with 31,620 weekly commits. 

It is worth noting that several sectors in the Ethereum ecosystem currently rank among the top seven in developer activity. Meanwhile, the Solana ecosystem comes next, with the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) Layer 1 and Layer 2 seeing the most activity, at 7,056 weekly commits. However, there has been a significant decline in the crypto ecosystem as a whole. 

Further data from Artemis shows that weekly commits have dropped from a yearly high of around 870,900 in March last year to as low as 217,500 in February. Notably, weekly commits crashed around the time of the crypto market’s infamous ‘October 10’ crash, which led to the largest liquidation event in crypto history. 

Source: Chart from Artemis Similarly, the weekly active developers have also declined from a yearly high of 10,600 in May last year to as low as 4,000. This metric has been declining since the October 10 crypto market crash, suggesting that current price action is affecting developer sentiment. Ethereum and Solana have also seen declines in their weekly commits and developer activity despite leading in these metrics. 

The Ethereum network has seen a 54% decline in weekly commits over the last three months and a 34% decline in developer activity over this same period. Meanwhile, the Solana network has seen 43% decline in weekly commits over the last three months and a 40% decline in developer activity over the same period. 

Why Prices Continue To Struggle  Ethereum and Solana prices continue to struggle, as experts note that the crypto market is in a bear market. CryptoQuant’s Head of Research, Julio Moreno, recently reiterated this, stating that the bear market is still on despite the relief rally that Bitcoin saw this week, which pushed ETH and SOL higher. 

Market analyst Doctor Profit recently stated that Bitcoin is likely to bottom between September and October, suggesting that Ethereum and Solana could still see larger declines. Meanwhile, Moreno told The Block that ETH could decline to $1,500 by the third quarter of this year or the early part of the fourth quarter if the bear market persists. The analyst also noted that Ethereum is facing an “adoption paradox,” with network activity rising while the ETH price falls.

ETH trading at $2,077 on the 1D chart | Source: ETHUSDT on Tradingview.com Featured image from Pixel Plex, chart from Tradingview.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

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Scott Matherson is a leading crypto writer at Bitcoinist, who possesses a sharp analytical mind and a deep understanding of the digital currency landscape. Scott has earned a reputation for delivering thought-provoking and well-researched articles that resonate with both newcomers and seasoned crypto enthusiasts. Outside of his writing, Scott is passionate about promoting crypto literacy and often works to educate the public on the potential of blockchain.

XRP (XRP 1.01%), the native cryptocurrency of the XRP Ledger, overcame some of its biggest challenges over the past year. Yet over the past 12 months, its price declined about 40% and remains more than 60% below its record high from last July. Some optimistic traders believe it could climb back above $2 this year, but I think three issues will hold it back.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Its biggest catalysts are in the rearview mirror In 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Ripple, whose founders created XRP, for selling its own XRP tokens to raise capital. Last August, that lawsuit -- which caused Ripple to lose its top customers and the top crypto exchanges to delist XRP -- concluded with a lighter-than-expected fine. After that ruling, the crypto exchanges relisted XRP, and the SEC approved its first spot-price exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in late 2025.

That's all great news for XRP, but all of those catalysts were priced into its stock when it hit its all-time high last summer. Looking ahead, XRP arguably faces more challenges than catalysts.

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2. It could face existential challenges XRP can't be mined like Bitcoin (BTC 1.67%), and its blockchain doesn't natively support smart contracts for the development of decentralized apps and other crypto assets like Ethereum (ETH 2.45%) and other proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchains. Therefore, XRP can't really be valued by its scarcity or utility.

Instead, XRP is primarily used as a "bridge currency" to settle fiat transactions on Ripple's payment platform, serving as a faster, cheaper alternative to interbank SWIFT transfers. However, stablecoins can achieve the same thing with much less volatility.

3. It faces competition from "blue chip" tokens Over the past 12 months, Bitcoin declined by 16%, while Ethereum rose by 8%. Those two "blue chip" tokens outperformed XRP and the smaller altcoins because they had clearer near-term and long-term catalysts. The intensifying Middle East conflict, inflation, lack of new rate cuts, and other macro headwinds are also driving investors away from smaller cryptocurrencies.

XRP also still faces more regulatory uncertainties than Bitcoin and Ethereum. The SEC lawsuit ended, but the judge ruled that XRP was still an unlicensed security when sold to institutional investors. That restriction could prevent the biggest investors from accumulating more XRP.

That pressure, along with the aforementioned challenges, could prevent XRP from outperforming the larger cryptocurrencies this year. While XRP's downside might be limited at these levels, I don't expect it to rally more than 40% to above $2 by the end of 2027.

Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Blockchain Capital has deposited 216,292 AAVE worth $24.31M to Coinbase, while exchange reserves dropped by 2.31% to $243.59M – A sign of tightening supply. 

Such a move introduces fresh liquidity to trading venues, even as overall exchange balances continue to fall. 

Large deposits usually raise concerns about potential sell pressure. However, the broader reserve contraction indicated that accumulation still dominates the market. This conflicting signal has placed AAVE at an interesting structural point right now. 

Investors will now wait to see whether the shrinking reserve trend absorbs this large transfer or not. At the same time, supply leaving exchanges is still indicative of longer-term holding behavior. 

This combination has created a situation where institutional movement collides with broader accumulation dynamics.

Channel breakout shifts AAVE’s structure AAVE recently broke above a long-standing descending channel that guided the price lower for several months. 

At the time of writing, the price was stabilizing near $111–$112 while defending the $100-support zone – A level that has held firmly during recent pullbacks. The breakout shifted the market structure away from persistent lower highs. 

Buyers have begun to push the price beyond the channel boundary that previously restricted rallies too. This structural change suggested that bearish pressure has gradually weakened across the market. 

However, the market still faces overhead resistance levels that could challenge sustained upside. A move above the $130-region would strengthen bullish conviction across higher timeframes. 

Until then, AAVE is likely to continue stabilizing above key support while attempting to build its recovery structure after months of controlled decline.

Source: TradingView At the time of writing, the MACD indicator hinted at early recovery signals, with the MACD line sitting near -3.36 while the Signal line was around -4.07. 

Meanwhile, the histogram climbed towards 0.71 – Indicative of gradually weakening bearish pressure. Such a shift might neab that selling intensity has begun fading after the prolonged downtrend. 

In fact, buyers have started reclaiming short-term control as the price stabilizes above the breakout zone. Put simply, the improving MACD structure reflects strengthening internal market conditions rather than sudden speculative spikes. 

Such gradual recovery patterns often emerge during early structural reversals. 

Spot Taker CVD signals stronger buying demand Additionally, the Spot Taker CVD turned buy-dominant, reflecting stronger market buy orders over the past ninety days.

The latest shift suggested that buyers have begun absorbing available liquidity more actively. A hike in buy pressure often supports recovery phases following extended declines. 

This development seemed to align with the broader reserves decline seen across exchanges too.

Reduced exchange supply, combined with stronger market buying activity, can create supportive conditions for price stabilization. 

However, sustained demand must continue to absorb sell-side liquidity entering exchanges. 

If buyers maintain this pressure, AAVE could strengthen its recovery structure and maintain support above its recent breakout level.

Source: CryptoQuant Liquidation cluster forms above AAVE price Finally, the liquidation heatmap highlighted a dense leverage cluster forming near the $116-zone. The data showed approximately 229.18K liquidation leverage concentrated near this level. 

Such clusters often attract price action because large liquidation pools provide liquidity for market moves. Traders frequently refer to these areas as potential liquidity magnets. As AAVE approaches this zone, leveraged short positions may face increasing pressure. A rapid move into this cluster could trigger cascading liquidations. 

This dynamic often accelerates short-term volatility across derivatives markets. However, the market must first sustain its recovery trajectory before testing this zone.

Source: CoinGlass AAVE’s structural conditions have been improving after breaking out of its descending channel. 

At the same time, strong spot buying and declining reserves are signs of ongoing accumulation too. However, Blockchain Capital’s $24.31M deposit could introduce potential sell-side liquidity into the market. 

If buyers continue absorbing supply, price could gravitate towards the $116 liquidation cluster. This would likely trigger short liquidations and extend the recovery move.

Final Summary  Institutional transfers often spark uncertainty, but AAVE investors could be prioritizing long-term positioning and accumulation still.  If buyers sustain control above structural support, liquidity magnets above price could draw volatility and accelerate recovery pressure.

18h05 ▪ 5 min read ▪ by Lydie M.

Summarize this article with:

American spot Bitcoin ETFs have just sent a signal that the market had been waiting for several weeks. For the first time in 2026, they have recorded five consecutive sessions of net inflows. During this sequence, about $767 million were absorbed by these products, marking a visible return of institutional demand for bitcoin.

In brief Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded five days of net inflows, a first in 2026. The signal is positive, but the price remains stuck below nearby resistances. Bitcoin regains institutional support, without yet triggering a real acceleration. A flow awakening that changes the mood This figure matters, but context matters even more. The beginning of the year had been rough, with irregular flows and several dry spells. This new cycle of inflows shows that some investors are returning to bitcoin via ETFs, even in an still tense macroeconomic environment.

The most important point is simple: these five days of inflows break a phase of hesitation. On Friday, spot Bitcoin ETFs again recorded $180.33 million in net inflows. The best day of the series remains Tuesday, with $250.92 million. This validates a coherent sequence, not just an isolated rebound.

This movement contrasts with the previous weeks. Early March, the market remained fragile, even if some signs of recovery were already appearing. On March 12, ETFs had attracted $53.86 million, a fourth positive day in a row before confirming the fifth.

It is also important to remember that, in January, Bitcoin ETFs started 2026 very strong before losing regularity. Over $1.2 billion flowed in during the first two business days of the year. The problem was therefore not the lack of interest. The real issue was the continuity of flows, and this is exactly what this new cycle restores.

Bitcoin benefits from a support more discreet than spectacular This ETF rebound has not resulted in an immediate price explosion. Bitcoin did touch a monthly high close to $73,900 on Friday, before settling back around $71,300 later in the session. In other words, the market moves forward, but without its own momentum.

This is actually what makes this phase interesting. Capital returns, but the market remains cautious. This restraint suggests that institutional investors are not chasing a short-lived euphoria. They are rather rebuilding exposure, step by step, on an asset that remains below its January peak and still far from its October 2025 record.

In short, ETFs support bitcoin, but they are not yet enough to trigger a clear breakout. The market seems to consider these flows as a foundation. Not yet as a definitive catalyst. The nuance is important, because it helps to understand why the price remains solid without becoming explosive.

Ether follows the movement, but Bitcoin keeps the upper hand Meanwhile, spot Ether ETFs have also regained momentum. They have recorded four consecutive days of inflows, totaling about $212 million, with a daily peak of $115.85 million on Thursday. This shows that the return of appetite for regulated digital assets is not limited to bitcoin alone.

But the balance of power remains very clear. Net assets of Bitcoin ETFs exceed $90 billion, far ahead of those of Ether ETFs. The market message is clear: when large capital seeks regulated crypto exposure first, bitcoin remains the preferred entry point.

This hierarchy is no coincidence. It confirms that, in periods of uncertainty, bitcoin keeps its status as the reference asset. Ether captures part of the return of flows, but it is bitcoin that continues to concentrate the main confidence.

The real signal to watch now is therefore no longer just the ETF flow. It is the ability of BTC to turn these inflows into a sustained breakout above resistances. As long as this passage is not validated, the reading remains constructive but incomplete.

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Lydie M.

Enseignante et ingénieure IT, Lydie découvre le Bitcoin en 2022 et plonge dans l’univers des cryptomonnaies. Elle vulgarise des sujets complexes, décrypte les enjeux du Web3 et défend une vision d’un futur numérique ouvert, inclusif et décentralisé.

DISCLAIMER

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.

High-net-worth investors and major liquidity providers have been withdrawing large amounts of Ethereum from centralized exchanges over the past few days.

These moves highlight a stark divergence between the digital asset’s stagnant price action and its underlying network growth.

Ethereum Whales Keep Accumulating as Price Action Fails to FollowThe most significant accumulation stems from an unidentified entity, tracked by EyeOnChain under the wallet prefix “0x8E34.”

Since March 11, this wallet has systematically withdrawn 80,157 ETH from exchanges. The massive position, valued at approximately $165.7 million at press time, was acquired at an average price of $2,078.89.

A major whale continues aggressively accumulating Ethereum, building a massive position over the past few days. Starting from March 11, the wallet 0x8E34dFb6b5aF9ae7bAF421f5C67E2ce2FA964170 has been consistently withdrawing ETH from exchanges.

Just 14 hours ago, the whale added… pic.twitter.com/9Ad2svYPvz

— EyeOnChain (@EyeOnChain) March 14, 2026 With ETH currently changing hands near $2,068, the investor is already carrying a slight unrealized loss. This reinforces the probability that the position is a long-term strategic hold rather than a short-term trading maneuver.

Meanwhile, a second large-scale investor, identified as wallet “0x743d,” mirrored this behavior.

Lookonchain reported that the wallet deployed roughly $24.79 million in Tether (USDT) to acquire 11,985 ETH at an average price matching current market levels.

Crucially, this accumulation extends beyond individual whales to institutional market infrastructure.

Wallets linked to the prominent cryptocurrency market maker Cumberland recently executed rapid withdrawals of roughly 23,000 ETH—worth about $47–50 million—from Binance and Coinbase.

In institutional finance, such large-scale movements by liquidity providers often indicate the facilitation of massive over-the-counter (OTC) trades or inventory rebalancing for institutional clients. Ultimately, these transfers point to quiet but substantial background demand for ETH.

This accumulation occurs even as the token struggles to maintain upward momentum above the $2,000 threshold amid broader macroeconomic headwinds.

Meanwhile, the flurry of on-chain asset movement arrives as Ethereum’s fundamental network metrics experience significant sustained growth.

According to blockchain analytics firm Santiment, the number of Ethereum holders has more than tripled over the past several years, reflecting accelerating network adoption.

Ethereum Key Network Metrics. Source: SantimentThis robust on-chain engagement creates a compelling market picture that suggests the asset’s foundation is strengthening despite near-term volatility.

The recent price rally seen across the crypto community has been interrupted by another short-term volatility, pulling Bitcoin back from the chances of achieving a major price recovery.

While it is finally back to $70,000, traders are still optimistic about its potential recovery to the major $100,000 level. Nonetheless, popular crypto analyst Ali Martinez has shared data revealing Bitcoin’s chances of reclaiming core levels near this threshold.

Bitcoin at $95,000, how soon?On Saturday, March 14, Martinez shared data revealing that Bitcoin could be preparing for a major price rally if it manages to break above a specified key on-chain resistance level.

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The resistance level was identified through a MVRV (Market Value to Realized Value) pricing model chart from Glassnode showcased by the analyst. It revealed that Bitcoin is currently trading close to an important level around $73,726.

While this metric is widely used by analysts to gauge whether Bitcoin is overvalued or undervalued relative to historical trends, it is currently showing that reclaiming the $73,726 level could keep Bitcoin on track for an explosive price surge.

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Per the analyst, If Bitcoin successfully clears the $73,726 resistance level, the next significant price zone highlighted by the model sits near $95,894.

Bitcoin slips back to $70,000While the metric appears promising, it is uncertain how long before the asset is able to clear the $73,726 resistance level as Bitcoin has recently flipped negative, trading around $70,0000, a level pretty below the important threshold.

Nonetheless, the analyst noted that a decisive breakout above the $73K region could signal strengthening bullish momentum and potentially attract renewed buying pressure from both retail and institutional investors.

On the other hand, failure to reclaim the level may keep Bitcoin consolidating within the lower MVRV bands until stronger demand returns.

Bitcoin (BTC) is on track for its strongest weekly gain since September 2025, defying a broader risk-off backdrop driven by the escalating US and Israel-Iran war.

Key takeaways:

Strategy raised $776 million this week, which could lead to the purchase of over 11,000 BTC.

US Bitcoin ETFs had $767 million in inflows in the same period.

STRC hints at $776 million in Bitcoin buying powerAs of Saturday, BTC/USD had risen more than 7% over the past week to around $70,625. Over the same period, the benchmark S&P 500 (SPX) was down 1.60%.

BTC/USD vs. SPX weekly chart performance. Source: TradingViewThe divergence came as STRC.LIVE estimates indicated that Strategy may have raised enough cash through at-the-market sales of its STRC instrument this week to buy more than 11,000 BTC.

At current prices, that would amount to roughly $776 million in Bitcoin.

STRC weekly data (March 9–13). Source: STRC.LIVESTRC is Strategy’s exchange-traded income-paying instrument that helps it raise investor cash for Bitcoin buys. When it trades at or above its $100 par value, Strategy can issue more shares and turn that demand into fresh BTC-buying capital.

Last week, Strategy had purchased 17,994 BTC, equivalent to about $1.28 billion at that time. About 30% of the BTC allocation was funded by STRC sale proceeds.

Bitcoin’s price was also boosted by US spot Bitcoin ETFs, which attracted $767 million in net inflows across five straight trading days, reflecting growing demand for BTC despite the Middle East crisis.

Bitcoin gains during geopolitical crisesIn the past, Bitcoin has experienced selloffs at the start of major geopolitical conflicts, only to recover and deliver larger gains.

In February 2022, Russia's invasion of Ukraine caused an initial dump, but was followed by a 40% BTC price rally, as shown below.

BTC/USDT weekly price chart. Source: TradingView/Ted PillowsA similar sequence played out after Israel’s June 2025 strikes on Iran. Bitcoin dipped in the immediate aftermath, then flipped higher, gaining about 25% over the next two months.

During the January 2020 US–Iran flare-up after General Qasem Soleimani’s killing, Bitcoin rose more than 50% overall, even though the first reaction included a brief price drop.

BTC/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingViewBitcoin price may rise further if history is any indication, with macro models hinting at an escalation toward $100,000 in the coming months.

Bear flag keeps BTC’s downside risks intactConversely, a bear flag formation on the Bitcoin chart increases the likelihood of a bull trap.

Bear flags form when the price rises inside an ascending, parallel channel after a strong downtrend. They usually resolve when the price breaks below the lower boundary and falls by as much as the previous downtrend’s height.

As of Saturday, Bitcoin showed signs of upside exhaustion near the flag’s upper boundary, also aligning with the 50-day exponential moving average (50-day EMA, the red line) at around $72,750.

BTC/USD daily price chart. Source: TradingViewApplying the bear flag principle to Bitcoin’s chart places the measured downside target at around $51,000.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.

Although XRP has suddenly flipped negative after its recent price surge that saw its price reclaim $1.45, the asset appears to have remained in demand as payment activity continues to rise.

Despite the mixed price action from XRP, activity on XRP Ledger has surged significantly, stirring optimism among investors even as the price of XRP faced a sharp market reversal.

Data provided by XRPSCAN shows that the XRPL payment volume climbed from the 640,830,942 XRP recorded on March 12 to 741,484,987 XRP as of March 13.

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This marks a 15.7% increase in the asset’s payment activity within a day. The surge suggests that network usage remains strong despite the short-term price dip.

XRP slips back to $1.38Even as the payment volume has remained high, indicating sustained utility on XRP Ledger, XRP has seen an unexpected decline in its price, retesting $1.38.

Over the last day, the asset has declined by over 3%, losing its recent highs and trading at $1.38 as of writing time.

Source: CoinMarketCap While XRP Ledger is widely used for cross-border settlements, liquidity transfers and institutional payment activity, it is important to note that rising payments volume during price pullbacks is a sign that underlying network demand remains intact, even when market sentiment is weak.

While the metric currently contrasts XRP’s price action, it could be a signal of quiet accumulation or continued operational use by payment providers and financial institutions building on the XRPL ecosystem.

U.S. President Donald Trump has revealed that the U.S. plans to deploy warships alongside ‘many countries’ to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Bitcoin climbed on the back of the president’s revelation, as this move could push oil prices lower.

Trump Says U.S. Will Deploy Warships, Bitcoin Rises In a Truth Social post, Trump said that many countries, especially those that are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending warships in conjunction with the U.S. to keep the oil chokepoint open and safe.

“We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability, but it’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are,” he added.

Bitcoin climbed to around $71,000 following Trump’s statement. However, the leading crypto has since dropped from this psychological level and is trading at around $70,000, according to TradingView data.

Source: TradingView; Bitcoin daily chart Trump did not mention which countries would deploy warships along the U.S. “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated,” he said.

The move to deploy warships to keep could help stabilize the volatile oil prices, which continue to put pressure on Bitcoin and the broader crypto market. Meanwhile, Trump said that the U.S. will be “bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water” in the meantime.

As CoinGape reported earlier today, the U.S. carried out strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island. In response, Iran vowed to increase its use of upgraded weapons, which sent the crypto market lower today.

Israel and Lebanon To Hold Direct Talks According to a Times of Israel report, Israel and Lebanon will hold direct talks in the coming days in a move to end the ongoing conflict. Talks will reportedly hold either in Paris or Cyprus and will involve the U.S. Envoy Jared Kushner.

This marks a positive for the Bitcoin price and the broader crypto market. This report comes just hours after French President Emmanuel Macron said that the Lebanese government had expressed its willingness to hold direct talks with Israel and that France was willing to assist in holding these discussions and to host parties in Paris.

“Israel must seize this opportunity, open negotiations, and bring about a ceasefire, find a sustainable solution, and enable the Lebanese authorities to fulfill their commitments for the sake of Lebanon’s sovereignty,” he said.

The stablecoin market is showing that growth often matters more than the outcome itself. 

On paper, Tether [USDT] remains dominant, making up over 55% of the $320 billion stablecoin market. This gives Layer-1 networks a real boost, since so much USDT is stored on-chain. In other words, having a big stash of USDT on-chain gives these networks a subtle “technical edge” when it comes to capital flows.

A closer look, however, reveals that Tron [TRX] and Ethereum [ETH] alone account for 90% of the $183 billion USDT market, putting them in a prime spot to lead key growth areas like A.I., NFTs, and RWA. Against this backdrop, a recent report highlighting Circle’s USDC overtaking USDT in “adjusted volume” naturally stirred things up.

Source: Mizuho For context, adjusted volume tracks transfers that look like real money moving, such as payments or funds moving between exchanges. High volume naturally shows that people and institutions are actively using stablecoins on-chain for everyday transactions, rather than letting them sit idle in wallets.

In this light, USDC now makes up 64% of the volume between the two stablecoins. According to the chart above, USDC has moved about $2.2 trillion in adjusted transaction volume this year, topping USDT’s $1.3 trillion. In fact, this is the first time since 2019 that USDC has overtaken USDT, highlighting a shift in which stablecoin is driving real on-chain activity. 

Against this backdrop, it’s no surprise that prediction markets are getting bullish on USDC. In fact, according to Polymarket, markets are pricing $200 billion for USDT and $100 billion for USDC by year-end.

Technically, that translates to just +8% growth for USDT versus +23% for USDC – A sign of strong confidence that USDC will keep gaining traction in real-world usage.

USDC minting surges on Solana, sparking a SOL vs. ETH debate Shifts in stablecoin flows directly affect on-chain liquidity across Layer-1 networks. 

In this context, USDC’s high transaction volume is raising questions about how this could impact L1s, especially after Circle minted an extra $2 billion USDC on Solana [SOL] just this week. This caught the attention of analysts at AMBCrypto.

Moreover, this development is particularly noteworthy because Solana’s transaction volume is nearly 30x greater than Ethereum’s [ETH]. Combined with the fact that USDC is seeing stronger on-chain usage than its main competitor, USDT, SOL might just have a “structural advantage” that could translate into real technical outperformance.

Source: TradingView (SOL/ETH) Notably, the timing couldn’t be better. 

So far in 2026, the SOL/ETH ratio has stayed range-bound around its 0.04 opening price – Up just 0.26%. This resilience in a risk-off market matters, especially when you consider that the ratio ended 2025 with a 26% correction – The biggest setback since the 2022 bear market. Against this backdrop, Solana’s transactional edge over Ethereum begins to hold weight.

From a technical perspective, nearly 54% of Solana’s on-chain liquidity sits in USDC, with supply increasing by 2.26% just this week alone. Since USDC has dominated transaction volume so far this year, this could translate into stronger technical performance for SOL, potentially positioning the network to outperform Ethereum in the coming months. Especially as both stablecoin flows and network usage continue to favor it.

Final Summary For the first time since 2019, USDC leads in adjusted transaction volume, now making up 64% of total stablecoin flows. With 54% of its on-chain liquidity in USDC and transactions nearly 30x Ethereum’s, Solana may leverage this stablecoin dominance to achieve technical outperformance. 

A quiet shift is underway in the stablecoin hierarchy. While Tether’s USDT still dominates the digital dollar market, the gap between the two largest issuers is narrowing as USDC steadily expands its footprint and Tether’s growth shows signs of softening.

Additionally, USDC is gaining ground in the places where the next wave of crypto money is likely to show up most clearly: regulated payments, institutional settlement, and high-velocity on-chain transfers.

Tether’s USDT still holds the largest stock of digital dollars in circulation, but the contest is shifting from a simple market-cap race to a fight over which issuer controls the rails that move new capital through crypto.

That split is now visible in both the long-term structure and the last month of market-cap movement. The stablecoin market stands at about $315 billion, giving the sector a much larger base than earlier in the cycle.

Within that pool, USDT still leads with 58% market share by supply, keeping Tether firmly in command of the largest crypto cash reserve.

Supply, however, is only one part of the picture. The more revealing question is where fresh dollars are going, which token they move through, and which issuer is building infrastructure institutions can use at scale.

That is where Circle has started to build a stronger case. Circle's financial statements confirm USDC circulation reached $75 billion at the end of 2025, up 72% year over year, while Q4 on-chain transaction volume climbed to $12 trillion, up 247% from a year earlier. Those figures indicate a stablecoin moving through wallets, venues, and payment flows more quickly.

Tether, for its part, remains too large to dismiss. In its latest quarterly disclosure, Tether stated USDT circulation topped $186 billion, reserve assets approached $193 billion, and its total US Treasury exposure reached $141 billion.

It also said it issued nearly $50 billion in new USDT during 2025. Those figures show a business that still dominates the inventory side of crypto dollars, especially across exchanges, offshore trading venues, and markets where users want a dollar-linked asset without relying on local banking systems.

Over the past month, USDC’s market cap has risen around 8%, pushing it to roughly $79 billion and a fresh all-time high.

Tether has remained far larger, but USDT is still sitting about $3 billion below the roughly $187 billion peak it reached in December 2025, a gap that gives Circle a clearer opening to chip away at Tether’s lead than the headline supply table alone suggests.

So the tension is real. Tether still controls the biggest pile of crypto cash. Circle is building faster in the parts of the market most closely aligned with the next phase of regulation and institutional adoption.

For traders and Bitcoin investors, stablecoins remain the main form of dollar liquidity inside crypto.

Whoever captures more of the next inflow can shape where liquidity thickens, how collateral is posted, and which rails become the default path for new capital entering the market.

USDT still owns supply, while USDC is winning more of the flowThe cleanest way to understand the shift is to separate supply from velocity. USDT still leads in outstanding supply, meaning more dollars are parked in Tether than in any rival stablecoin. But transaction data suggests USDC is gaining influence over how money moves.

Bloomberg, citing Artemis Analytics, reported that stablecoin transaction volume rose 72% to $33 trillion in 2025, with USDC accounting for $18.3 trillion and USDT for $13.3 trillion.

That divergence carries more weight than a simple supply table. A stablecoin that wins more transaction flow can become the preferred medium for settlement, treasury movement, and short-duration capital rotation, even while another token still holds a larger long-term balance.

Put differently, Tether still looks stronger as stored crypto cash, while Circle is making a case to become the preferred token for moving crypto cash.

The market is also assigning the two issuers different jobs. Tether’s edge remains distribution. It has the deepest footprint across global exchanges and a large user base in emerging markets, where demand for dollar-linked assets often reflects local currency weakness, capital controls, or banking friction.

Circle’s edge is legibility. It has built a reserve model and disclosure framework that fit more naturally with banks, regulated payment firms, and institutions that need cleaner lines around custody, compliance, and audits.

Circle’s own transparency page makes that pitch directly. The company says the bulk of USDC reserves sit in the BlackRock-managed Circle Reserve Fund, with the rest primarily in cash at regulated financial institutions, and notes that its financial statements are audited by Deloitte.

That does not erase market competition, and it does not guarantee that USDC will overtake USDT by supply. It does give Circle a stronger position in the regulated lane of the market at a moment when regulation is beginning to sort winners by use case.

The policy backdrop is moving in that direction. A Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis review of the GENIUS Act framework says payment stablecoin issuers face tight reserve rules, monthly disclosures, and annual audited financial statements once issuance passes $50 billion.

State-qualified issuers above $10 billion would also need to move toward federal oversight within a year. Those thresholds do not decide the market on their own, but they make compliance architecture more important than it was during the earlier, more crypto-native phase of stablecoin growth.

MetricUSDTUSDCWhy it is relevantCirculation / supply$183 billion$79 billionShows where the largest stock of crypto dollars sits2025 issuance / growthNearly $50 billion new issuance in 202572% year-over-year circulation growthShows how quickly each issuer is expandingTransaction volume in 2025$13.3 trillion$18.3 trillionShows which token is moving more moneyCore strategic edgeExchange distribution and global trading liquidityRegulated settlement and institutional usabilityPoints to a split market rather than a single winnerThat split is already visible in payments. Visa launched USDC settlement in the United States with Cross River Bank and Lead Bank and plans broader U.S. expansion through 2026. It also said its monthly stablecoin settlement volume had reached a $3.5 billion annualized run rate as of November 30.

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That is not the same as saying USDC will dominate all crypto activity. Circle, however, is gaining share in one of the most important growth lanes outside exchange trading.

The Bitcoin implication centers on liquidity, collateral, and who captures the next inflowFor Bitcoin, the stablecoin contest is not a side issue. Stablecoins fund exchange balances, back collateral positions, and give traders a dollar-linked unit that can move around the clock without leaving the crypto system.

When stablecoin supply grows, the market’s pool of deployable dollar liquidity tends to deepen. When one stablecoin gains more of that growth, the question becomes which venues and user groups will control the new liquidity.

Glassnode has described the Stablecoin Supply Ratio as a gauge of stablecoin-denominated buying power relative to Bitcoin supply, with lower readings implying greater potential purchasing power. That supports a practical point: stablecoins are one of the clearest ways to measure how much dollar liquidity is sitting inside crypto and how ready that liquidity may be to rotate into BTC.

If USDT remains the main store of offshore trading cash while USDC gains ground in regulated settlement and enterprise finance, Bitcoin liquidity could become more segmented over the next year. Offshore spot and derivatives venues may remain heavily USDT-centric.

Meanwhile, institutionally mediated Bitcoin activity could lean more toward USDC as banks, payment firms, and treasury desks choose the stablecoin that best fits compliance, reserve transparency, and settlement requirements.

That would not weaken Bitcoin. Tether would still matter most for the largest reservoir of crypto-native trading capital, and it could broaden the set of rails that feed Bitcoin demand.

Circle would matter more for the next tranche of regulated capital seeking a stablecoin bridge to digital assets without stepping outside traditional financial guardrails.

Standard Chartered has projected that the stablecoin market could reach $2 trillion by the end of 2028. From a base of roughly $315 billion today, that implies about $1.7 trillion of additional room for growth.

The key question is which issuer, reserve model, and regulatory framework will capture the next $1.7 trillion.

There are several plausible paths from here.

USDT keeps the largest share of outstanding supply because its exchange and international distribution remain hard to replace, while USDC continues to gain in institutional payments and regulated settlement.Policy clarity and more bank integrations allow USDC’s lead in transaction velocity to translate into much bigger gains in outstanding supply.The market keeps assigning USDT the role of dominant crypto trading cash, and USDC’s gains remain meaningful but narrower, concentrated in regulated channels rather than across the full market.The evidence today supports the first path more than the others. Tether is still too large, too embedded, and too useful across crypto’s global trading stack to call this an imminent overthrow.

Circle, though, has enough momentum in transactions, reserve design, and institutional integrations to argue that the next phase of stablecoin growth may not belong to the same issuer that dominated the last one.

Circle’s case also rests on recency, not just structure. USDC has hit a new market-cap high near $79 billion after roughly 8% monthly growth, while USDT has yet to reclaim the peak it reached in December 2025.

The broader takeaway for Bitcoin and the wider market is straightforward. USDT still owns the largest share of crypto’s cash inventory. USDC is making a stronger claim on crypto’s future cash plumbing.

If stablecoins are heading toward a multi-trillion-dollar market, the fight is no longer just about who is biggest now. It is about who captures the next wave of money, and which version of the dollar becomes the preferred bridge into Bitcoin, exchanges, payments, and on-chain finance.

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