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SummaryMicron is still a cheap stock, despite the outperformance this year.HBM is the core driver of my bull case. 2026 capacity is sold out on volume and price, and management expects the tight HBM supply to persist beyond 2026.Q1 FY26 beat expectations (revenue $13.64B, EPS $4.78), and Q2 guidance shocked the Street: $18.7B revenue, $8.42 EPS, and 68% non-GAAP gross margin.From a risk perspective, consumer/PC/smartphone demand may soften if higher memory prices force mix adjustments. After the Q2 guidance, expectations are high.Overall, I see a very attractive story, impeccable fundamentals, and triple-digit growth projected for the next 2 quarters. I reiterate my strong buy on Micron. hapabapa/iStock Editorial via Getty Images

In my last coverage on Micron Technology (MU), I reiterated a strong buy rating on the back of HBM tailwinds and the emerging memory supply tightness.

Since my first strong buy rating on Micron

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of NOW either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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SummaryGoDaddy maintains a dominant 22% market share in web domains, supported by strong branding and a comprehensive suite of value-added services.We project a 7.1% five-year average revenue CAGR, driven by robust Applications & Commerce segment growth and continued digitalization trends.The company's AI integration, notably the Airo platform, enhances customer value and strengthens its competitive moat despite premium pricing. Tim Robberts/DigitalVision via Getty Images

By Anthony Goh, Senior Investment Research Analyst @ Khaveen Investments & Shivansh Prashant Mundra, Investment Research Intern @ Khaveen Investments

We cover GoDaddy, Inc., (GDDY) a leader in web domains with a 22% market share. It has a strong sales growth

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of GDDY either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

No information in this publication is intended as investment, tax, accounting, or legal advice, or as an offer/solicitation to sell or buy. Material provided in this publication is for educational purposes only and was prepared from sources and data believed to be reliable, but we do not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of MRVL either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Explore how differences in fund scale, cost, and yield can shape your international ETF strategy.

SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (SPDW +0.61%) and iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA +0.62%) both provide broad international developed equity exposure, but differ in cost, size, and yield.

Both ETFs aim to capture developed markets outside the U.S, serving as core international holdings. SPDW tracks the S&P Developed Ex-U.S. BMI Index, while IEFA follows a similar approach but excludes Canada and boasts much larger assets under management. This comparison looks at their key differences for investors evaluating international diversification.

Snapshot (cost & size)MetricSPDWIEFAIssuerSPDRISharesExpense ratio0.03%0.07%1-yr return (as of 2025-12-12)26.6%16.0%Dividend yield2.6%2.9%Beta1.051.3AUM$33.3 billion$163.0 billionBeta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year weekly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months.

SPDW is more affordable with a lower expense ratio, while IEFA may appeal to those seeking a slightly higher yield and deeper liquidity due to its size. The fee gap is small, but IEFA’s higher payout could interest income-focused investors.

Performance & risk comparisonMetricSPDWIEFAMax drawdown (5 y)-30.20%-30.41%Growth of $1,000 over 5 years$1,335$1,330What's insideIEFA covers 2,600 developed-market stocks outside the U.S. and Canada, with a sector mix led by financial services (23%), industrials (20%), and healthcare (10%). Its largest positions are ASML, AstraZeneca, and Roche. With over 13 years of history and more than $160 billion in assets under management, IEFA stands out for its scale and trading liquidity.

SPDW takes a nearly identical sector approach, with its top allocations in financial services (23%), industrials (19%), and technology (11%). The largest holdings are ASML, Samsung, Roche, and AstraZeneca. SPDW offers slightly fewer holdings (2,410) but has a lower expense ratio.

For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide at this link.

What this means for investorsWhile many of the largest and best companies are in the U.S., it's important for investors to add some international stocks to their portfolio to increase their diversification. IEFA and SPDW offer two pathways to add international exposure to your portfolio. IEFA is a bigger fund (by holdings and assets) and has a higher expense ratio.

For the most part, these funds are fairly identical. They even share many of the top holdings. However, there is one notable difference between these two funds other than size and cost. The IEFA excludes Canadian companies from its holdings, while SPDW holds our neighbors to the North. Canada has the third-highest geographical weighting in the fund at 11%. As a result, this fund provides even greater international exposure compared to IEFA.

For investors seeking the broadest international exposure at the lowest cost, SPDW stands out compared to IEFA in those two key areas.

GlossaryETF: Exchange-traded fund; a pooled investment fund traded on stock exchanges like a stock.
Expense ratio: The annual fee, as a percentage of assets, that a fund charges to cover operating costs.
Dividend yield: Annual dividends paid by a fund divided by its current share price, expressed as a percentage.
Beta: A measure of an investment's volatility compared to the overall market, typically the S&P 500.
Assets under management (AUM): The total market value of assets a fund or investment company manages on behalf of investors.
Max drawdown: The largest percentage drop from a fund's peak value to its lowest point over a specific period.
Developed markets: Countries with advanced economies, stable governments, and established financial markets, such as Japan, UK, and Germany.
Sector allocation: The distribution of a fund's investments across various industries or sectors.
Liquidity: How easily an asset or fund can be bought or sold in the market without affecting its price.
Total return: The investment's price change plus all dividends and distributions, assuming those payouts are reinvested.
Index: A statistical measure representing a group of securities, used as a benchmark for fund performance.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of PDI, PDO either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

CoreWeave is shaping the future of cloud computing, and Circle Internet Group is shaping the future of global finance.

CoreWeave (CRWV +22.64%) is already disrupting the cloud services industry with infrastructure purpose-built for artificial intelligence. Circle Internet Group (CRCL +6.05%) hopes to revolutionize the financial services industry by connecting enterprises with its stablecoin network. Certain Wall Street analysts think the stocks are deeply undervalued.

Brent Thill at Jefferies values CoreWeave at $155 per share. That implies 128% upside from its current share price of $68.
Jeff Cantwell at Seaport Research values Circle at $280 per share. That implies 245% upside from its current share price of $81.

Investors should never lean too heavily on target prices, but these stocks are compelling long-term investment ideas. Here's why.

Image source: Getty Images.

CoreWeave: Shaping the future of artificial intelligence and cloud computing
CoreWeave is a neocloud, sometimes called an artificial intelligence (AI) cloud or graphics processing unit (GPU) cloud. Regardless of terminology, the company is the leader among an emerging class of cloud services providers whose data center infrastructure is purpose-built for AI workloads like training and inference.

Research company SemiAnalysis recently ranked CoreWeave as the most capable provider of cloud AI services, scoring its platform above technology giants Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet. Analyst Dylan Patel wrote, "CoreWeave continues to set the benchmark for AI cloud performance by demonstrating strong technical execution and operational maturity."

CoreWeave reported solid third-quarter financial results. Revenue increased 134% to $1.3 billion on strong demand for AI infrastructure. The company also reported a narrower GAAP loss of $0.22 per diluted share, up from $1.82 per diluted share in the prior year. Finally, cash from operations increased more than 100% to $1.7 billion.

Nevertheless, the stock has fallen 36% since the reported because management lowered its full-year guidance and investors are worried about an AI bubble. Those concerns are overblown. The lower guidance reflects postponed (not lost) revenue due to data center construction delays, and Grand View Research says cloud AI spending will increase at 40% annually through 2030.

CoreWeave stock currently trades at 6.5 times sales. That is very reasonable (if not cheap) for a company whose revenue is projected to increase at 95% annually through 2027. That forecast suggests analysts are confident CoreWeave will keep growing at a rapid clip because of deep customer relationships with AI giants Microsoft, Meta Platforms, and OpenAI. Also, Nvidia has agreed to purchase any unsold compute capacity through April 2032. Investors with a time horizon of at least three years should consider buying a small position.

Circle Internet Group: Shaping the future of global finance
Circle is a fintech company that issues stablecoins and provides software tools that allow developers to integrate digital asset storage and payments into their applications. Its best-known product is USDC, the second largest stablecoin by market value, but the largest one that adheres to stringent regulations in the U.S. and Europe.

Interest payments are the primary source of revenue. USDC tokens are backed by an equal amount of dollar-denominated financial assets like Treasury bills and other government securities. However, the company is expanding into payments with the Circle Payments Network (CPN), which promises faster and cheaper transactions across use cases ranging from employee payroll to e-commerce.

Circle reported encouraging financial results in the third quarter. Revenue increased 66% to $740 million despite a modest reduction in interest rates because the circulating volume of USDC increased 108%. Meanwhile, adjusted EBITDA increased 78% to $166 million.

Management also provided two important updates: First, the CPN now includes 29 financial institutions, with more than 500 potential customers in the pipeline. Second, the company started testing its Arc blockchain, which resolves the problem of unpredictable gas fees on other blockchains.

Looking ahead, stablecoin revenue is projected to increase at 54% annually through 2030. JPMorgan Chase says USDC is the preferred stablecoin among financial institutions because of its focus on regulatory compliance. That makes Circle an attractive long-term investment, especially when the stock trades at 7.6 times sales, nearly the cheapest valuation since its June IPO.

JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Trevor Jennewine has positions in Amazon and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Jefferies Financial Group, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

The Vanguard Industrials ETF is a solid idea, but for investors looking for potential outperformance in this sector, there's another fund to consider.

Investors evaluating the universe of industrial sector exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have plenty of options to consider, but it's hard to go wrong with the Vanguard Industrials ETF (VIS +0.93%).

Not only is this Vanguard sector ETF up nearly 20% year to date, outperforming the S&P 500 along the way, but it also holds a massive basket of 391 stocks, ensuring investors gain broad exposure to the industrials sector. And like so many of its Vanguard peers, this ETF has a low expense ratio. This ETF's annual fee is just 0.09% per year, or $9 on a $10,000 investment.

For investors seeking industrial exposure without the burden of selecting individual stocks, this Vanguard ETF is an excellent choice. For those with higher risk tolerance, there are alternative ways to tap into the industrial sector through ETFs, some of which have the potential to outperform traditional counterparts. Enter the Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD +2.12%).

This next-gen defense ETF may be a better bet than standard industrial ETFs. Image source: Getty Images.

Sizing up the Global X Defense Tech ETF
This $4.97 billion Global X ETF isn't as old as traditional industrials ETFs. It came to market in September 2023, but since then, it easily outpaced its old guard rivals because it brings a growth fund feel to a sector that's typically considered a cyclical value destination.

Data by YCharts.

Looked at another way, while standard industrial ETFs feature large allocations to aerospace and defense names such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin, the Global X ETF is a next-generation play on an old sector. In fact, it's not a dedicated industrials ETF because it allocates 14.6% of its weight to technology stocks.

Yes, the ETF shares many holdings with typical industrial ETFs. It also sets itself apart by featuring Palantir Technologies as its largest holding. That story stock isn't a staple of the industrial ETFs of yesteryear. Interestingly, just three ETFs of any variety have larger weights to Palantir than the Global X fund.

Palantir is just one stock, but it underscores crucial points. Warfighting is evolving, and so is how nations arm and defend themselves. National defense spending is becoming increasingly tech-focused, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and drones, among other trends. More so than its oldest rivals, the Global X ETFs taps into those themes.

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This ETF offers regional diversification, too
Regardless of sector, a standard industry ETF, unless otherwise noted, only features exposure to domestic stocks. That's true of the aforementioned Vanguard fund, but when evaluating industrial ETFs, it's a point to consider because many countries outside the U.S. are ramping up defense spending.

The Global X ETF offers access to this theme, as nearly 37% of its holdings are from outside the U.S. The ETF allocates 8% of its portfolio to German equities, which is noteworthy because that country plans to double its defense expenditures over the next five years.

The fund's 5.5% weight to French stocks could be an added perk, as that country's 2027 defense spending is expected to be double the levels seen a decade prior. Bottom line: Defense is an increasingly tech-focused sector, and more countries are recognizing the need to invest in ensuring safety and sovereignty. This Global X ETF isn't granddad's industrial ETF, and that's all right. It may even be a good thing.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of UBER either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

BTC trades above a crucial support but it also reached a major sell wall.

Bitcoin’s underwhelming price performance at the end of the year resulted in another 3% weekly decline to $88,000, even though the asset managed to recover from the drop to $84,500 earlier this week.

In fact, on-chain data shared by Ali Martinez shows that this precise level is the strongest support for BTC, where nearly 400,000 units were accumulated.

If broken to the downside, the next line of defense lies around $83,300. The same analyst with over 160,000 followers on X outlined the next support levels if that one cracks as well.

The worst-case scenario would be a massive price drop to $63,000, which would essentially invalidate the bull market. Recall that the cryptocurrency began its ascent in Q4 last year from roughly that level. Even though it doubled in price until the following October, it has lost 30% since then, and market observers are questioning the state of the bull cycle.

Below $83,307, Bitcoin $BTC next major support levels sit at $79,520, $70,685, and $63,111. pic.twitter.com/suOd6kMFVb

— Ali Charts (@alicharts) December 19, 2025

If bitcoin is to move in the opposite direction, it would need to overcome a few significant sell walls, the first of which is located at just over its current price tag. If it falls, the next one is around $92,000, followed by a major one at $94,000.

The last one proved to be too strong last week when BTC spiked to $94,500 on a couple of occasions before and after the US Federal Reserve cut the interest rates by another 25 bps. However, the subsequent rejection resulted in a massive $10,000 decline in a week or so.

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China’s Mining Crackdown Drives Bitcoin Hashrate to Three-Month Low

$BTC has reached a sell wall. The current sell wall exist until 90k.

The next sell wall is existed around 92k. pic.twitter.com/gHhvwOXxJo

— CW (@CW8900) December 20, 2025

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About the author

Jordan got into crypto in 2016 by trading and investing. He began writing about blockchain technology in 2017 and now serves as CryptoPotato's Assistant Editor-in-Chief. He has managed numerous crypto-related projects and is passionate about all things blockchain.

The 71-year-old said she doesn't have six more years in her.

Cynthia Lummis, an American attorney and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Wyoming since 2021, said she will not seek reelection.

She is known as a long-term supporter of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies who spearheaded several attempts to introduce pro-digital-asset legislation.

Thank you, Wyoming! Serving our state has been the honor of my life. – Cynthia Lummis pic.twitter.com/FoRTlHaHxI

— Cynthia Lummis 🦬 (@CynthiaMLummis) December 19, 2025

After thanking her home state for the “incredible honor” to represent it in the US Senate, she admitted that she doesn’t have six more years in her to operate on this high level. She said she feels like a “sprinter in a marathon” and added that “the energy required doesn’t match up.”

Lummis was among the first and most vocal politicians to openly support bitcoin when most of the US administration was against the asset class. Some previous reports indicated that she first bought bitcoin back in 2013.

She continued accumulating throughout the years, with filings from 2021 showing that he bought somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000 worth of the cryptocurrency. The senator has made multiple pro-BTC comments over the years, including predicting that it will become an important player for a long time to come.

More recently, she championed the idea of a US strategic Bitcoin reserve. She has introduced numerous pro-crypto bills in the US, but her push for a strategic Bitcoin reserve has perhaps become the most widely praised and discussed.

You may also like:

This Year Has Been a Drag But BTC is Still Up Over 400% Since Cycle Low

China’s Mining Crackdown Drives Bitcoin Hashrate to Three-Month Low

Bitcoin RSI Nears Oversold Levels That Historically Triggered Major Rallies

Tags:

About the author

Jordan got into crypto in 2016 by trading and investing. He began writing about blockchain technology in 2017 and now serves as CryptoPotato's Assistant Editor-in-Chief. He has managed numerous crypto-related projects and is passionate about all things blockchain.

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The legal troubles surrounding the collapsed Terraform Labs persist despite the recent sentencing of its founder, Do Kwon, to 15 years in prison by US authorities. Following Kwon’s conviction, the company’s bankruptcy administrator has initiated a lawsuit against Jump Trading.

Terraform Labs Files $4 Billion Lawsuit
On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the Office of the Terraform Labs Plan Administrator announced that it is pursuing a $4 billion lawsuit against Jump Trading. 

The lawsuit accuses the firm of engaging in “illicit market manipulation, self-dealing, and misuse of assets,” all of which allegedly enriched the company at the expense of unsuspecting investors. 

The administrator emphasized that this legal action aims to recover lost value for creditors and hold Jump accountable for exploiting the Terraform ecosystem.

The demise of Terraform Labs in 2022 began when its stablecoin, TerraUSD, lost its dollar peg, triggering a catastrophic sequence of events that devalued its sister token, Luna. 

This collapse wiped out approximately $40 billion in value, affecting investors globally and initiating a ripple effect throughout the cryptocurrency industry. Notably, Terraform Labs’ turmoil also contributed to the eventual failure of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX exchange.

In response, a Jump Trading spokesperson stated that the lawsuit is a “desperate attempt by Terraform Labs” to deflect blame and financial liability for Kwon’s actions. The spokesperson asserted their intention to vigorously contest what they described as baseless claims.

Kwon’s Potential Second Trial In South Korea
Last week, it was reported that Do Kwon had pleaded guilty to charges involving conspiracy to defraud and wire fraud. Kwon admitted to misleading investors about the stability of TerraUSD.

During his sentencing, US District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer pointed out that Kwon had repeatedly deceived investors who had placed their trust in him, describing the fraud as one of “epic, generational scale.” 

Kwon expressed remorse in court, mentioning that he had spent considerable time reflecting on his actions and contemplating how to make amends. Prosecutors alleged that when TerraUSD fell below its $1 target in May 2021, Kwon misled investors into believing that a computer algorithm would restore its value. 

Meanwhile, court documents revealed that he had arranged for a trading firm to secretly purchase millions of dollars’ worth of the coin to artificially inflate its price. Yet, the legal issues for Kwon are far from over. 

South Korean officials indicated that he could face a second trial and additional sentences should he be extradited after serving part of his US sentence. There are expectations that the Terraform Labs co-founder may apply for the International Prisoner Transfer Program once he completes half of his 15-year term.

This potential extradition poses a significant threat, as Kwon faces multiple charges related to violations of the Capital Markets Act in South Korea, where there are over 200,000 reported victims and estimated losses exceeding $204 million. 

With ten alleged accomplices already on trial in South Korea, authorities believe that prosecuting Kwon domestically would be essential in compensating local victims. A guilty verdict in his home country could lead to a sentence exceeding 30 years, according to a senior prosecutor’s statement.

The daily chart shows LUNC’s consolidation after a major correction. Source: LUNCUSDT on TradingView.com
At the time of writing, Luna Classic (LUNC) is trading at $0.00004010, having recorded losses of 17% over the past week. However, the token has increased in value by 28% over the past month, following Kwon’s sentencing hearing which boosted the price of the cryptocurrency. 

Featured image from DALL-E, 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.

They introduced a new Community Commerce Initiative.

With the 2025 Holiday season already here, the Pi Network team has outlined a new initiative to expand overall ecosystem engagement for commerce apps and local Pi-accepting merchants.

Pioneers will have the opportunity to shop with Pi online and in person, while also enjoying some hefty discounts.

Pi and the Holidays
The so-called Community Commerce Initiative aims to support small businesses, strengthen the real-world utility of the project’s native token, and make it easier for Pioneers to discover apps and merchants that accept the asset. Pi Network’s team is also hosting a community raffle to make the new movement more exciting, featuring Pi-branded merchandise, including t-shirts and hats.

They explained that the initiative will be a simple, fully decentralized process for app developers and merchants who want to participate. All they have to do is create their own holiday deals, discounts, or creative shopping activations, promote them in the PiFest Fireside Forum Channel, and handle their sales, fulfillment, and delivery directly with the potential customers.

Pi Network will provide the necessary visibility by aggregating all activity into a single ecosystem-wide event, while leaving full creative freedom to third-party builders.

Users who want to be part of the new initiative need to browse the Pi ecosystem directory or the Fireside Forum to find participating merchants, shop through Mainnet commerce apps or at local Pi-accepting businesses, enjoy seasonal promotions within the ecosystem, and share their holiday shopping experiences in the PiFest channel.

100 Pi Merchandise Winners
Aside from Holiday-season discounts, users will be able to win branded items. One hundred winners will be selected from all valid PiFest channel posts to receive shirts and hats, which will be fulfilled through a third-party provider with distribution available in more than 220 regions worldwide, the team said.

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Bitcoin (BTC) Plunges Before the FOMC Meeting, Pi Network (PI) Soars by 15%: Market Watch

Posts on the PiFest Fireside Forum channel are automatically registered in the raffle. However, the team explained that prizes are “non-transferable, not for resale, and do not imply any formal affiliation with Pi Network.”

In its mandatory disclaimer, the Core Team asserted that all Pi apps involved in the process are third-party applications that have not been developed or endorsed by them. As such, Pioneers should participate and transact at their own discretion.

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The Solana price has shown encouraging signs of recovery, climbing 6% on Friday to approach the $126 mark. This uptick follows a concerning dip below the crucial $120 level, which had sparked fears of a potential downtrend that could drag the cryptocurrency down toward the $100 threshold.

Solana Price Gains Ground
Chris MacDonald, an analyst at The Motley Fool, recently highlighted two key factors contributing to Solana’s resurgence. One significant catalyst is a proactive initiative by the Solana Foundation. 

Bitcoinist reported earlier this week that the organization is currently assessing whether its network can withstand potential threats from quantum computing technologies. 

In collaboration with Project Eleven, a security firm specializing in post-quantum cryptography, the Solana team has launched a quantum-resistant testnet following a comprehensive threat assessment. 

The second notable factor driving the Solana price uptick is the announcement from health and wellness company Mangoceuticals, which revealed plans to allocate $100 million toward acquiring and holding SOL. 

Despite the positive momentum, experts caution that Solana’s price is currently following a “clean corrective structure.” 

Moving Averages Signal Downtrend
From a technical analysis perspective, the 50-day simple moving average (SMA) is situated around $143, significantly higher than the current trading range, while the 200-day SMA looms even further at approximately $170, suggesting a prevailing downtrend rather than a healthy consolidation phase.

In the short term, the 20-day exponential moving average has also rolled over near $133 and has consistently rejected previous attempts at a bounce. 

Analysts note that until the Solana price can close above the low-$130s for an extended period, any rebounds will likely be seen merely as counter-trend movements. 

Immediate support lies just below current trading levels at the $125 mark, followed by critical levels in the $121–$120 range, and another demand zone around $110. 

A more significant downturn could push the price into the high $90s, with projections indicating a potential dip to around $80 if liquidations accelerate further, as NewsBTC reported on Thursday.

The market has already registered an eight-month low near $116.9. A decisive close beneath that level could likely drag the Solana price toward the psychologically significant $100 mark. 

On the upside, the Solana price could encounter initial resistance clustered in the $133–$138 range, with stronger resistance observed in higher levels between $144 and $147 that could prevent any new recoveries in the short-term.

To facilitate further price recovery, the Solana price will need to clear that second group of resistance levels on a daily close, ideally supported by increased trading volume, to pave the way toward prices between $160 and $165.

The daily chart shows SOL’s price recovery on Friday. Source: SOLUSDT on TradingView.com
Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

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Ethereum

Ethereum is moving faster than ever on the engineering side – but fewer people appear to be using the network. That contrast is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

On one hand, Ethereum’s core developers are locking in a predictable, industrial-style upgrade cycle that stretches years into the future. On the other, on-chain activity and capital flows are flashing warning signs that engagement is weakening right now.

The gap between those two realities is shaping Ethereum’s next chapter.

A protocol that now runs on a fixed schedule
Ethereum is no longer experimenting with when and how it upgrades. Developers have committed to a strict twice-yearly hard-fork cadence, turning protocol development into something closer to an operating system roadmap than an open-ended research project.

Within that framework, the upgrade scheduled to follow Glamsterdam has already been named: Hegota. The name itself is symbolic, reflecting Ethereum’s ongoing effort to tightly coordinate execution-layer and consensus-layer changes rather than treating them as separate evolutions.

More importantly, the process behind Hegota signals a cultural shift. Starting in 2026, Ethereum will use a formalized method to select a “headline” upgrade feature well in advance, reducing uncertainty for builders, infrastructure providers, and rollup teams.

For Hegota, that decision point is expected early in the year.

Bigger blocks, smaller bottlenecks
Rather than focusing on flashy new features, Ethereum’s next phase centers on throughput and efficiency. One of the clearest ambitions being discussed is a major expansion in gas capacity – effectively allowing far more computation to flow through the network per second.

If implemented, this would mark a significant departure from Ethereum’s historically conservative approach to base-layer scaling.

At the same time, developers are revisiting one of Ethereum’s longest-running problems: state growth. As smart contracts and accounts accumulate, running a full node becomes more demanding, raising concerns about long-term decentralization.

New data structures, including Verkle Trees, are being explored as a way to shrink the burden on node operators while preserving security guarantees. The goal is not just speed, but sustainability.

Rebalancing Ethereum’s reliance on rollups
Ethereum’s scaling strategy has leaned heavily on Layer-2 networks – perhaps more than originally intended.

In practice, the vast majority of transactions tied to Ethereum now happen off the main chain, processed by rollups that settle back to Layer 1. While this has enabled growth, it has also hollowed out base-layer activity.

Developers are now openly discussing whether the pendulum has swung too far.

Hegota is emerging as a potential inflection point, where improvements to the base layer could reclaim some relevance without abandoning the rollup-centric model. Parallel work on interoperability aims to make multiple Layer-2s feel like parts of a single network rather than isolated islands.

The message is subtle but clear: Ethereum doesn’t want to be just a settlement backstop.

Market signals are moving in the opposite direction
While protocol development is accelerating, network usage tells a different story.

Recent on-chain data shows fewer active participants, fewer transactions, and declining engagement compared to earlier in the year. This slowdown is not limited to retail users; institutional activity appears to be cooling as well.

Capital flows reinforce that picture. U.S.-listed Ethereum ETFs have experienced sustained outflows, erasing a significant portion of their assets under management. Large holders have also been reducing exposure, adding to selling pressure during recent drawdowns.

Ethereum’s price has struggled to regain key psychological levels, reflecting hesitation rather than conviction.

A network at a crossroads
Ethereum now finds itself in an unusual position: technically ambitious, organizationally disciplined, but facing shrinking real-world usage.

Hegota represents confidence in Ethereum’s long-term architecture. The market response suggests uncertainty about near-term relevance.

Whether upcoming upgrades can translate engineering progress into renewed demand remains an open question. If they succeed, Ethereum could emerge leaner, faster, and more balanced between Layer 1 and Layer 2.

If they don’t, the network risks becoming a highly optimized foundation that fewer people actively build on.

That tension – between vision and usage – may define Ethereum more than any single upgrade name.



Author

Alexander Stefanov

Reporter at CoinsPress

Alex is an experienced finance journalist and a cryptocurrency and blockchain enthusiast. With over five years of experience covering the industry, he deeply understands the complex and constantly evolving world of digital assets. His insightful and thought-provoking articles provide readers with a clear picture of the latest developments and trends in the market. His passionate approach allows him to break down complex ideas into accessible and insightful content. Follow up on his content to be up to date with the most important trends and topics - stay ahead of the curve with CoinsPress.

Zcash price bounced back, reaching its highest point since December 13 and 47% above its lowest level this month. 

Summary

Zcash price jumped as many experts placed their bets on the privacy sector.
The rebound also happened as investors bought the recent dip.
Technical analysis suggests that it may keep rising in the near term.

Zcash (ZEC), the biggest player in the privacy industry, jumped to a high of $440, bringing its market capitalization to over $7.3 billion. This rally happened in a high-volume environment, with the 24-hour figure rising to $763 million.

Zcash token has rebounded as most analysts predict that privacy will be one of the top themes to watch in the coming year. It has been mentioned by top forecasts by companies like Grayscale and Coinbase. 

This explains why other privacy-oriented tokens like Midnight and Monero are rising. It also explains why the Grayscale Zcash Trust assets are rising and nearing the important point at $200 million.

In addition to the narrative, there is clear evidence that people are increasing their use of the Zcash token. Data shows that the supply of shielded ZEC tokens has surged to a record high.

Investors flushing their money down the toilet climbs to record highs this year.

Sometimes you believe in something.
Sometimes you’re just delusional.

RIP $ZEC shielders. pic.twitter.com/MSvPFxHLcK

— Simon Dedic (@sjdedic) December 19, 2025

For starters, Zcash uses two approaches. In the first one, transactions in the network work in the public blockchain, allowing all transactions to be available in the public ledger. On the other hand, its shielded transactions are private, with important details like amount and transaction addresses being private.

Zcash price has also jumped as investors reacted to a recent statement by Raoul Paul, who maintained a bullish outlook for the token. He, however, warned that the ongoing rally could be due to rotation, rather than a sustained structural bullish trend.

Meanwhile, the rebound is happening as crypto investors buy the recent dip in Zcash and other altcoins. Bitcoin (BTC) price has jumped to $88,500, while the market capitalization of all tokens soared to nearly $3 trillion. 

Zcash price technical analysis 
ZEC price chart | Source: crypto.news
The daily timeframe chart shows that the Zcash price bottomed at $300 earlier this month as the crypto market crash accelerated.

It has now rebounded to $448 and is nearing the 38.2% Fibonacci Retracement level at $472. It has also remained above the 50-day and 100-day Exponential Moving Averages 

Therefore, the most likely scenario is where it continues rising as bulls target the next psychological level at $500 as investors buy the dip.

However, there is also a risk of a pullback as it is slowly forming a bearish pennant pattern, which is made up of a vertical line and a symmetrical triangle pattern. It is also in the markup phase of the Wyckoff Theory, meaning that a retreat is possible.

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On-chain analytics firm Santiment has shared the data about how Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other top coins compare in Total Amount of Holders.

Ethereum Beats Bitcoin, Dogecoin, & Others In Total Amount Of Holders
In a new post on X, Santiment has talked about where the Total Amount of Holders indicator stands for Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and other coins in the cryptocurrency sector today. This metric measures, as its name suggests, the total number of addresses carrying a non-empty balance on a given network.

When the value of this indicator rises, it can be a sign that new investors are joining the blockchain and/or old investors who sold earlier are making a return. The trend can also arise from existing holders creating multiple wallets for accounting or privacy purposes.

In general, all of these factors can be assumed to simultaneously be in action whenever the Total Amount of Holders registers an increase. As such, some net adoption of the cryptocurrency can be considered to have occurred.

On the other hand, the metric going down implies some investors have cleaned out their wallet balances, potentially because they have decided to exit the blockchain.

Now, here is the chart shared by Santiment that shows the trend in the Total Amount of Holders for eight different cryptocurrencies:

The metric's value appears to be the highest for ETH right now | Source: Santiment on X
As displayed in the above graph, Ethereum is the most dominant cryptocurrency in terms of the Total Amount of Holders, with the metric sitting at 167.96 million. Bitcoin, the next largest network, only hosts a userbase that’s a third of ETH’s (about 57.62 million addresses).

Ethereum’s dominance could be down to the fact that the blockchain hosts a vibrant ecosystem of layer two blockchains and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, made possible by its smart-contracts system.

The gulf between Bitcoin and third place is again massive, with the stablecoin USDT having 9.63 million non-empty wallets. From USDT on, however, the altcoins are much closer to each other.

Dogecoin and XRP are the cryptocurrencies with the fourth and fifth largest holder counts on the list with the indicator having a value of 8.13 million and 7.41 million, respectively.

From the chart, it’s visible that while Bitcoin has seen a more or less flat trajectory in the Total Amount of Holders during the last year, Ethereum has only been witnessing growth, extending its lead.

The adoption trend for ETH is also visible from another indicator shared by the analytics firm, known as the Network Growth. This metric keeps track of the new addresses appearing on the blockchain.

The trend in the ETH Network Growth over the last few months | Source: Santiment on X
As is apparent from the chart, the Ethereum Network Growth has spiked recently. “The #2 market cap is seeing an average of 163K new addresses per day, compared to 124K in July,” noted Santiment.

BTC Price
At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $87,500, down 2% over the last week.

Looks like the price of the coin has consolidated recently | Source: BTCUSDT on TradingView
Featured image from Dall-E, Santiment.net, chart from TradingView.com

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According to CryptoSlam data, NFT sales volume has climbed by 12.03% to $67.76 million, up from last week’s $64.95 million.

Summary

NFT sales rose 12% to $67.76M as buyers and sellers returned to the market.
Ethereum led NFT blockchains with $28.06M in sales, up over 45% week-on-week.
Bitcoin fell to $88K and ETH dropped below $3K, but NFTs bucked the market trend.

Market participation has rebounded, with NFT buyers surging by 49.30% to 231,210 and sellers jumping by 43.43% to 164,944. NFT transactions remained essentially flat, down just 0.16% to 910,892.

The market has also taken a hit as Bitcoin’s (BTC) price has dropped to the $88,000 level as selling pressure returns.

Ethereum (ETH) has lost the $3,000 level and is hovering at $2,900, extending its recent decline.

The global crypto market cap now stands at $2.99 trillion, down from last week’s $3.07 trillion. However, the NFT sector has bucked this trend with a solid recovery in both sales and participation.

Milady Maker debuts at top as DMarket falls
Milady Maker on Ethereum has claimed first place with $3.68 million in sales. The collection processed 217 transactions with just 10 buyers and 1 seller.

DMarket on the Mythos blockchain dropped to second with $3.09 million, down 30.75% from last week’s $4.50 million. The collection recorded 81,970 transactions with 8,685 buyers and 7,349 sellers.

Courtyard on Polygon (POL) surged to third place with $2.97 million, up 36.57% from last week’s $2.18 million. The collection processed 51,199 transactions with 8,630 buyers and 2,060 sellers.

Source: Top collections by NFT Sales Volume (CryptoSlam)
Pudgy Penguins jumped to fourth at $2.21 million, soaring 63.66%. The Ethereum collection saw 162 transactions with 91 buyers and 89 sellers, marking a strong recovery.

Guild of Guardians Heroes on Immutable-Zk secured fifth position with $2.20 million, up 23.48% from last week’s $1.78 million. The collection had 1,753 transactions.

YES BOND on BNB held sixth place at $2.12 million, up 3.82% from last week’s $2.04 million. The collection recorded 1,935 transactions.

Bored Ape Yacht Club rounded out the top seven with $1.67 million, up 14.67%. The collection processed 113 transactions with 64 buyers and 70 sellers.

Ethereum posts notable growth as Solana retreats
Ethereum dominated with $28.06 million in sales, exploding 45.56% from last week’s $23.93 million.

The network recorded $3.32 million in wash trading, bringing its total to $31.38 million. Buyers climbed 19.84% to 14,433.

BNB Chain (BNB) held second position at $9.62 million, down 1.60% from last week’s $9.44 million. The blockchain recorded $102,118 in wash trading, with buyers surging 106.21% to 30,104.

Bitcoin secured third place at $7.38 million, up 4.50% from last week’s $6.10 million. The network saw 6,874 buyers, up 93.52%.

Source: Blockchains by NFT Sales Volume (CryptoSlam)
Polygon climbed to fourth with $4.12 million, up 30.43% from last week’s $3.12 million. The blockchain recorded $6.36 million in wash trading, bringing its total to $10.49 million. Buyers rose 54.95% to 43,010.

Solana (SOL) dropped to fifth at $3.96 million, down 25.06% from last week’s $5.54 million. The network had 26,455 buyers, up 77.68% despite the sales decline.

Mythos Chain placed sixth with $3.22 million, down 29.41% from last week’s $4.64 million. The blockchain attracted 22,277 buyers, up 62.36%.

Immutable (IMX) secured seventh position at $3.19 million, up 0.27% from last week’s $3.15 million. Buyers jumped 98.10% to 3,655.

Base landed in eighth at $2.03 million, down 6.21%. The blockchain had 74,077 buyers, up 27.65%.

Wrapped Ether Rock leads NFT sales

Wrapped Ether Rock #38 topped individual sales at $265,594.19 (90 ETH), sold three days ago.
Beeple Spring Collection #100100001 placed second at $186,493.03 (60 ETH), sold six days ago.
A $X@AI BRC-20 NFT sold for $160,299.03 (1.7951 BTC) six days ago.
Autoglyphs #192 fetched $156,342.55 (55 WETH) a day ago.
CryptoPunks #5133 completed the top five at $131,200.81 (44.99 ETH), sold four days ago.

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Altcoins

Cardano is no longer defining itself by academic rigor alone. The network is now orienting around execution, scale, and measurable adoption, signaling a transition toward a platform designed to compete for enterprise use and institutional capital.

Success is increasingly judged by usage, throughput, and capital efficiency rather than design philosophy.

This repositioning reflects a broader realization: credibility in today’s market comes from performance, not promises.

Power Moves On-Chain As Governance Becomes Operational
A key signal of this shift is how Cardano now governs itself. Control has moved decisively toward token holders, replacing informal coordination with structured, on-chain decision-making. Ongoing governance actions in late 2025 aim to reinforce constitutional oversight and formal checks, embedding accountability directly into the protocol.

Rather than governance as a concept, Cardano is treating it as an operating system component.

Scaling Prioritizes Practical Throughput
Cardano’s scaling strategy is now pragmatic. Fast, frequent activity is being pushed to Layer 2, while the base protocol continues evolving to handle higher load over time. This split approach allows growth without sacrificing security or decentralization.

Near-term efficiency comes from off-chain execution. Long-term capacity is addressed through core protocol upgrades scheduled beyond 2025.

Growth Strategy Looks Beyond ADA
Cardano’s ecosystem ambitions are expanding outward. Efforts to connect Bitcoin liquidity into Cardano’s DeFi stack aim to attract external capital without custodial risk. At the same time, work on a privacy-focused sidechain targets use cases where confidentiality and compliance must coexist.

Together, these initiatives point to a clear goal: position Cardano as infrastructure for real economic activity, not just a standalone asset network.

Author

Alexander Zdravkov

Reporter at CoinsPress

Alexander Zdravkov interessiert sich leidenschaftlich für Bedeutungsfragen. Er ist seit mehr als drei Jahren im Kryptobereich tätig und hat ein Auge dafür, aufkommende Trends in der Welt der digitalen Währungen aufzuspüren. Ob er nun tiefgreifende Analysen liefert oder tagesaktuell über alle Themen berichtet, sein tiefes Verständnis und seine Begeisterung für das, was er tut, macht ihn zu einer wertvollen Ergänzung für das CoinsPress-Team.

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2026 is shaping up to be another excellent year for the stock market.

With 2025 nearly over, it's a good time for investors to think about which companies they might want to add to their portfolios in 2026. A market pullback can happen at any time, so having a shopping list ready to go is a smart idea.

Here are my top 10 stock picks for 2026. I'm fairly confident that each of them will outperform the market next year.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Nvidia
This is just a list of stocks -- it's not in ranked order. However, if it were in ranked order, there's a good chance that Nvidia (NVDA +3.80%) would still be No. 1. The chipmaker has been the face of the artificial intelligence (AI) buildout since it began in 2023, and that trend shows no signs of stopping in 2026.

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Hyperscalers are slated to spend record amounts on capital expenditures in 2026. Most of that money is going toward constructing data centers and filling them with computing equipment, such as Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs).  Nvidia projects that by 2030, global data center capital expenditures will total $3 trillion to $4 trillion. If that forecast proves accurate, Nvidia will be a top stock to own in 2026 and several years beyond.

2. AMD
AMD (AMD +6.17%) has played second fiddle to Nvidia in the GPU market for many years, but it could start closing the gap. AMD's offerings are far more competitive than they were just a few years ago, and management believes it can capture more of the market for the new AI workloads coming online.

The company projects that its data center revenue growth rate will rise to a 60% compound annual growth rate over the next five years. In Q3, its data center growth rate was 22%. If it can accelerate its growth to that 60% level, AMD will be a winning stock pick in 2026.

3. Broadcom
Chipmaker Broadcom (AVGO +3.12%) is taking a different approach to AI computing. Instead of offering general-purpose GPUs like AMD and Nvidia, it's partnering with hyperscalers to design custom AI accelerators that are optimized to handle the needs of their workloads. These application-specific integrated circuits can provide better performance at lower costs, but at the cost of reduced flexibility. Many cloud giants are willing to make that trade, and Broadcom's growth is accelerating as a result.

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In the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2025 (which ended Nov. 2), Broadcom's AI semiconductor revenue rose 74% year over year, and management expects that growth rate to accelerate to above 100% in its Q1 fiscal 2026.

4. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing
Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom are all fabless chip companies: They design chips, but outsource the manufacturing of them to specialists like Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM +1.67%). It is by far the world's largest chip foundry by revenue, and with its industry dominance, that likely won't change anytime soon.

As long as high AI infrastructure spending continues, Taiwan Semiconductor will be a great investment, as it's a neutral player in the AI realm. That spending is expected to rise again in 2026, boding well for Taiwan Semi.

5. Alphabet
Alphabet (GOOG +1.60%)(GOOGL +1.47%) is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the AI realm. Originally, its generative AI model, Gemini, was viewed as inferior to its rivals. But now, it's seen as one of the leaders in the space.

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Furthermore, Alphabet has a thriving base business (Google Search), as well as a strong cloud computing offering in Google Cloud. It's hard to find a weak spot in Alphabet's business right now.

6. Meta Platforms
Shares of Meta Platforms (META 0.78%) tumbled after it reported its Q3 results, with the market apparently reacting unfavorably to its high capital expenditure plans. However, that response ignores how strong the base business was in the quarter. Meta's revenue rose by 26% year over year, thanks to the effects of AI on its platforms.

This growth will likely persist throughout 2026, and investors will come back around to Meta stock once they realize that all the other tech giants in its megacap cohort are spending just as heavily on AI as Meta is. The stock's current discount is a great buying opportunity, and investors should take advantage.

7. Amazon
Amazon (AMZN +0.21%) stock has performed poorly in 2025: It's only up about 3% so far this year. However, that wasn't because Amazon's business struggled. Its revenue rose at a 13% pace in Q3, led by its strong advertising division and cloud computing segment, Amazon Web Services.

Both of these businesses are expected to thrive in 2026. With each accounting for a significant chunk of Amazon's profits, that bodes well for the stock's chances of regaining its momentum.

8. PayPal
PayPal (PYPL +0.62%) stock has fallen by around 30% in 2025. However, it hasn't been as bad a year for the payment processing giant's business as that result would suggest.

PYPL EPS Diluted (Quarterly YoY Growth) data by YCharts. EPS = earnings per share. YoY = year over year.

PayPal delivered strong diluted earnings per share (EPS) growth in 2025, and that trend could continue in 2026, particularly if it continues its share buybacks. PayPal's stock is dirt cheap at 11.5 times forward earnings, making it an attractive stock to buy.

9. The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk (TTD 0.17%) has had a disappointing year as well, with its stock falling by around 70% so far. When it switched to its AI-powered ad-buying platform, Kokai, its platform migration was poorly executed, leading to problems for its clients. This caused some clients to pull back on their spending with it, and it lost business to Amazon.

However, The Trade Desk is still in a great spot and is expected to grow revenue in 2026 at a 16% pace, according to Wall Street analysts. Combine that with its forward price-to-earnings ratio of 20, and you have a recipe for a stock that could outperform in 2026.

10. MercadoLibre
Last but not least is MercadoLibre (MELI +1.63%), a Latin American e-commerce and fintech giant that has posted year after year of successful quarters. The stock is up by around 20% for the year, but down by more than 20% from the high it hit in July.

MercadoLibre is the dominant e-commerce company in Latin America, and its growth is far from over. Previous pullbacks in MercadoLibre's stock over the past few years have proven to be excellent buying opportunities, and the current one looks no different.

Keithen Drury has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Broadcom, MercadoLibre, Meta Platforms, Nvidia, PayPal, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Amazon, MercadoLibre, Meta Platforms, Nvidia, PayPal, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and recommends the following options: long January 2027 $42.50 calls on PayPal and short December 2025 $75 calls on PayPal. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.