Market Signal Briefing

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 8, 2026) - WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of American Depositary Shares ("ADS") of Mereo BioPharma Group plc (NASDAQ: MREO) between June 5, 2023, and December 26, 2025. 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 6, 2026 in the securities class action first filed by the Firm.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Mereo BioPharma Group 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 Mereo BioPharma Group class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=52452 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 6, 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. 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 false and/or misleading statements and/or concealed material adverse facts concerning the true state of the Phase 3 ORBIT and COSMIC programs; neither of which hit its primary endpoints of reducing annualized clinical fracture rate compared to the placebo or bisphosphonate control groups, respectively. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Mereo BioPharma Group class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=52452 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/.

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

-------------------------------

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/283128

Source: The Rosen Law Firm PA

Ready to Announce with Confidence? Send us a message and a member of our TMX Newsfile team will contact you to discuss your needs.

Contact Us

NEW YORK, Feb. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against F5, Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIV) and certain of its officers.

This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired F5 securities between October 28, 2024 and October 27, 2025, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm’s site: bgandg.com/FFIV.

F5 Case Details

The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:
      (1)   Defendants provided overwhelmingly positive statements to investors while disseminating materially false and misleading statements and/or concealing material adverse facts concerning the true state of F5’s security capabilities;
      (2)   F5 was not, in fact, equipped to safely secure data for its clients because the Company was, at all relevant times, experiencing a significant security breach (the “Security Breach”) affecting key product offerings;
      (3)   The revelation of the Security Breach would significantly impair F5’s ability to capitalize on opportunities in the security market; and
      (4)   As a result of the omission of these material facts, shareholders purchased F5 securities at artificially inflated prices.

What's Next for F5 Investors?

A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm’s site: bgandg.com/FFIV. or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 917-590-0911. If you suffered a loss in F5 you have until February 17, 2026, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.

No Cost to F5 Investors

We, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys’ fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.

Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC for F5 Securities Class Action?

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. More at www.bgandg.com

"Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace," said Peretz Bronstein, Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram.

Contact Info

Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or Nathan Miller
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
917-590-0911 | [email protected]

Attorney advertising.
Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

NEW YORK, Feb. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: RARE) and certain of its officers.

This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Ultragenyx securities between August 3, 2023 and December 26, 2025, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm’s site: bgandg.com/RARE.

Ultragenyx Case Details

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:
      (1)   defendants created the false impression that they possessed reliable information pertaining to the effects of setrusumab on patients with variable types of Osteogenesis Imperfecta (“OI”), while also minimizing risk that patients in Ultragenyx’ Phase III Orbit study would fail to achieve a statistically significant reduction in annualized fracture rate (“AFR”), such that the second interim analysis could be performed and presented to the investing public; and
      (2)   in truth, Ultragenyx’ optimism in the Phase III Orbit study’s results and interim analysis benchmark were misplaced because Ultragenyx failed to convey the risk associated with basing such threshold figures on Phase II results that had no placebo control group for appropriate comparison and thus had not ruled out that the reduction in AFR from that study could merely be triggered by an increased standard of care and the placebo effect of being provided a novel treatment.

What's Next for Ultragenyx Investors?

A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm’s site: bgandg.com/RARE. or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 917-590-0911. If you suffered a loss in Ultragenyx you have until April 6, 2026, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.

No Cost to Ultragenyx Investors

We, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys’ fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.

Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC for Ultragenyx Securities Class Action?

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. More at www.bgandg.com

"Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace," said Peretz Bronstein, Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram.

Contact Info

Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or Nathan Miller
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
917-590-0911 | [email protected]

Attorney advertising.
Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

NEW YORK, Feb. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized investor-rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against China Liberal Education Holdings Ltd. (OTCMKTS: CLEUF) and certain of its officers.

This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired China Liberal securities between January 22, 2025 and January 30, 2026, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm’s site: bgandg.com/CLEUF.

China Liberal Case Details

The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:

(1) In January 2025, individuals impersonating investment advisors on social media platforms fraudulently induced investors to purchase shares of China Liberal stock, artificially inflating (“pumping”) the price of China Liberal shares; 
(2) On January 30, 2025, the price of China Liberal stock abruptly collapsed, causing many investors to lose nearly all of the funds they had invested as a result of the scheme; 
(3) Although several individuals responsible for the coordinated pump‑and‑dump scheme are now being prosecuted by the United States Department of Justice, there is evidence indicating that executives at China Liberal may have known of, participated in, or acted with severe recklessness regarding the fraudulent conduct; and 
(4) As a result, Defendants’ statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

What's Next for China Liberal Investors?

A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm’s site: bgandg.com/CLEUF. or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 917-590-0911. If you suffered a loss in China Liberal you have until March 31, 2026, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.

No Cost to China Liberal Investors

We, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys’ fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.

Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC for China Liberal Securities Class Action?

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. More at www.bgandg.com

"Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace," said Peretz Bronstein, Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram.

Contact Info

Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or Nathan Miller
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
917-590-0911 | [email protected]

Attorney advertising.
Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

SoundHound AI is taking the restaurant world by storm, but further growth may be much more difficult.

There's no shortage of artificial intelligence (AI) stocks, from AI-powered defense systems to agentic AI platforms and more.

One of the most unique AI pure plays, though, is SoundHound AI (SOUN +16.94%), which is developing a voice AI platform that fuses large language model (LLM) AI and audio recognition technology into a customer service AI agent barely distinguishable from a human (at least, that's the idea).

It's a worthy goal, but there are some big hurdles standing in SoundHound's way. So big, in fact, that you may want to forget SoundHound AI and opt instead for a colossus AI stock that truly owns its data. Here's why.

Image source: Getty Images.

SoundHound's opportunity If you've ever interacted with a prerecorded voice menu system, you know how frustrating automated customer service interactions can be. They leave most of us just pressing the buttons we hope will get us to a real person. In other words, SoundHound has identified a real need for a system that can actually understand what a caller wants and provide answers in natural-sounding, conversational speech.

One of the challenges SoundHound's AI system seems to have successfully overcome is recognizing voices when there's lots of background noise. As a result, restaurants like White Castle have deployed its systems to speed up drive-thru ordering. SoundHound claims its restaurant voice ordering platform is 32% more accurate than human employees, provides 85% faster service times, and offers cost savings of $58,000 per location per year. The company has parlayed this restaurant technology into phone ordering for Five Guys and Red Lobster.

But to really jump-start its growth, SoundHound needs to expand beyond restaurant ordering into customer service lines of all types. The company's Amelia 7 AI customer service agent has already been picked up by some companies, largely in the insurance and financial sectors, but there's obviously a huge untapped market for similar AI agents from businesses of all types.

Image source: Getty Images.

Outside the niche The problem for SoundHound is that none of the individual technologies it's using are new or unique. AI voice assistants like Apple's Siri, voice recognition software, and LLM-powered AI chatbots are everywhere and consistently improving in quality. To succeed, SoundHound will have to hope that another company with an edge in one of these areas doesn't offer a competing product, because it doesn't have much of a moat.

That puts SoundHound on a bit of a time crunch to develop a cross-industry agentic voice AI that's roughly as capable as a human operator. That means it must understand what the customer wants, reliably provide accurate information and solutions, and above all, not take too long to generate a response. That's pretty easy for restaurant ordering, which involves a set list of menu items. It's pretty difficult for a generic help line where there are any number of possible issues a customer might bring up.

And where is SoundHound going to get customer interaction data to train its AI? It seems unlikely that even millions of restaurant order transcripts could adequately train an agentic AI on how to address, say, a question about why a car engine is making a funny noise.

That potential lack of AI training data seems like a big long-term problem for SoundHound. It probably can't afford to pay a third party for LLM access, since it's already unprofitable and cash-flow-negative, and has been relying on costly acquisitions for growth. The company's share count has more than doubled over the last three years as it has diluted existing shares to raise capital.

Today's Change

(

16.94

%) $

1.25

Current Price

$

8.60

All that makes me very wary of SoundHound's long-term prospects. Luckily, there is a stock you can buy that actually does own all the AI data it needs, and then some.

Alexa, what stock should I buy? Yep, that company is Amazon (AMZN 5.49%). The e-commerce titan was a pioneer in the voice assistant space with its Alexa chatbot. The company also has plenty of AI experience, continually integrating AI features into its Amazon Web Services cloud platform.

Last year, Amazon debuted the AI-enhanced Alexa+. In doing so, it also changed its privacy policy, forcing all users to allow their conversations with Alexa to be uploaded to the cloud for analysis and potential AI training. In Amazon's defense, it would be practically impossible to offer an AI-powered voice assistant without allowing user queries to be processed in the cloud, given AI's massive data usage requirements.

Image source: Amazon.

That means that Amazon now owns a vast trove of AI voice assistant training data, which -- according to some users -- has already made Alexa+ able to respond more quickly and accurately to queries. In other words, Amazon already owns an agentic voice AI, the means to train it on all manner of queries, voice recognition software, a cloud platform on which those queries can be processed, and a boatload of cash at its disposal to pursue whatever opportunities it wants.

True, Amazon hasn't indicated any plans to get into the AI chatbot business anytime soon, but it could easily do so at pretty much any time using already-developed resources it has at the ready. That should strike fear into the heart of any SoundHound investor.

This is one of many companies that are seeing a rebirth with the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence.

Plenty of investors recently have piled into AI stocks without having much sense of the companies in which they're investing. What's particularly surprising about the AI revolution is that for the most part, you haven't yet seen new companies really emerge as the leaders of this new advance in technology. Instead, many of the same companies that powered past technological advances, such as the internet and even the personal computer, have stepped up to the plate to take their swing at the AI opportunity.

During the month of February, the Voyager Portfolio is investigating some of the most popular companies in the market to figure out what's behind their success. The technology industry is full of stories of founders getting off the ground in the most unusual of ways, but the story that Micron Technology (MU +3.17%) has followed is even more interesting than most. This first article in my three-part series on Micron will look more closely at how this maker of vital memory chips for AI hardware got to where it is today.

Image source: Getty Images.

Open wide Micron began its existence in the basement of a dental office in Boise, Idaho in 1978. The goal of its four co-founders was to make Micron into a successful semiconductor chip design business, and in a testament to the needs of the time, its first contract was to design a memory chip that would have a capacity of 64 kilobits. Micron proved successful with that task, and by 1981, it had built an entirely new semiconductor chip fabrication plant in Boise. Its 64K dynamic random access memory (DRAM) made it into some of the most popular computing equipment of the early PC era, including the Commodore 64 home computer.

Like many chipmakers, Micron spent the following years looking to make its chips smaller and more powerful. The company cracked the 1-megabit threshold in 1987, and its products quickly made their way into PCs and graphics cards. Micron also ventured into other types of memory, including video random access memory (RAM) and fast static RAM in 1988. Subsequent increases in capacity paved the way for more complex operating systems like Microsoft (MSFT +1.90%) Windows to take their place as staples in the PC industry.

Paving the way for AI Many of the advances that have directly helped Micron become an industry leader in AI have been decades in the making. Double-data-rate and quad-data-rate architectures in 1999 and 2000 increased memory bandwidth. Pseudo-static RAM had lower power needs that helped make smartphones possible, while high-density server memory modules addressed the needs of data-intensive operations. NAND flash memory enabled chips to retain data even without constant power, and the evolution of solid-state drives helped to give users more choices in balancing the need for high-capacity data storage solutions against the ability to gain access to that data as quickly as possible.

Today's Change

(

3.17

%) $

12.13

Current Price

$

395.02

At this point, Micron has 60,000 patents to its name. That intellectual property is proving to be a valuable asset as the company moves forward in supplying the needs of AI hyperscalers and other customers. Moreover, Micron has expanded far beyond its Boise roots, with global manufacturing facilities that give the business worldwide scope.

Riding the waves of the memory-chip cycle From its story of success, it might seem as though Micron's journey from humble start-up to global behemoth went quite smoothly. However, the path that Micron took was a lot choppier than its timeline might suggest. Navigating the inevitable ups and downs in demand for its memory chips was a necessary skill in finding long-term success. As you'll read in the next article in this three-part series on Micron, it took considerable tenacity to make the company into the budding AI leader it is today.

Plenty of high-yield pipeline stocks grab more attention than Kinetik Holdings, but investors may want to examine this mid-cap name.

Within the energy patch, the midstream space, including pipeline operators, is hallowed ground for investors seeking above-average dividend yields. Those outsize payouts are rewards for investing in a slow-growth, toll-road-like industry with steady cash flows.

Dividends and predictability are attractive features, but they don't provide complete protection against downside. Take the case of Kinetik Holdings (KNTK +3.72%). This mid-cap pipeline company, which focuses on the energy commodities-rich Permian Basin, shed about 36% of its value over the 12 months ended Thursday, Feb. 5.

This pipeline stock tumbled last year, but it could be a buy for long-term investors. Image source: Getty Images.

Look now because the stock is on the mend, surging 14% over the past month. Time will tell just how sustainable that rally is, but some signs point to Kinetik as a credible consideration for buy-and-hold strategies for risk-tolerant investors.

Kinetik is delivering the dividend goods As of Feb. 5, Kinetik sports a dividend yield of 7.85%. Obviously, that's eye-catching, but more important than yield is payout growth. This Texas-based midstream company delivered on that front a couple of weeks ago, announcing a 4% increase in its quarterly payout to $0.81 a share.

The company has been paying dividends since 2021, and there have been some increases along the way, indicating that management prioritizes shareholder rewards. Undoubtedly, there are long payout-increase streaks across the commodities complex, but Kinetik is trending in the right direction regarding dividend consistency.

This pipeline operator may be positioned for durable, long-term increases in its dividend payment, particularly if it meets or beats expectations for improved earnings this year and in 2027, and as new projects come online.

Today's Change

(

3.72

%) $

1.49

Current Price

$

41.50

One of those projects is the ECCC pipeline, which could yield results as early as the second quarter. If Kinetik executes there and if natural gas liquids (NGL) volumes prove sturdy, those could be catalysts for dividend growth and accretive to the long-term thesis.

Kinetik offers value and other benefits Given Kinetik's weakness over the past year, investors are right to ponder if this is a value trap. Thirty-six percent declines have a way of giving off value trap vibes, but this energy stock doesn't appear to be a dubious value name. Instead, it has the makings of a legitimate value play, as it trades at a discount to peers.

The dividend and value may be among the reasons why some professional market participants are nibbling at this stock. Another one might be chatter on Wall Street that Kinetik is a viable takeover target for larger pipeline entities looking to increase their NGL and Permian Basin footprints.

On its own, takeover speculation isn't a reason to buy a stock, because the rumors may prove unfounded. Still, if a transaction materializes, it could be icing on the cake for Kinetik investors. In the meantime, they can enjoy the prospect of improved execution and, of course, the dividend.

D-Wave Quantum (QBTS +20.19%) wants to lead the development of quantum computing with a unique, dual-platform approach. The month of January included several steps to accomplish that goal.

Yet rather than sending shares higher, D-Wave stock lost 18.9% last month, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. That makes it a good time to take another look at the investing thesis.

Image source: Getty Images.

Game-changing potential Quantum computing could be a powerful game changer in many areas. It possesses enormous, transformative potential across industries such as pharmaceuticals, materials science, finance, and cybersecurity by tackling problems that classical computers cannot solve. 2025 was a somewhat breakthrough year as quantum sensing technology advanced beyond foundational research. The emphasis has shifted to production and deployment with quantum computing processing.

Companies are taking varied approaches, leaving investors to decide which, if any, quantum computing stocks to include in their portfolios. D-Wave was primarily known for its leading quantum annealing system, which is already commercially available. It's an energy-efficient system designed to help enterprises speed up decision-making, optimize operations, and respond to disruptions.

Last month, however, the company completed what could be a somewhat transformational acquisition. D-Wave brought Quantum Circuits Inc. (QCI) into its fold. That company creates full-stack superconducting gate-model quantum computing systems engineered for commercial scalability. The combination gives D-Wave a balance between its commercial annealing quantum systems and a path to develop gate-model quantum computers at scale for general-purpose, fault-tolerant computing.

Investors should keep eyes wide open D-Wave didn't break the bank with the acquisition. The price to acquire QCI was $550 million, consisting of a combination of $300 million in D-Wave stock and $250 million in cash. That may seem like a big purchase considering D-Wave only generated about $22 million in revenue over the first nine months of 2025. But that revenue more than tripled compared to the prior year period, and D-Wave held a cash balance of $836.2 million as of Sept. 30, 2025.

Today's Change

(

20.19

%) $

3.48

Current Price

$

20.68

Still, there's no guarantee the company will achieve enough success to justify its valuation of over $7 billion, let alone grow from there. Only highly risk-tolerant investors should own the stock at this early stage. Shares are going to be volatile, as evidenced by the 19% drop in January.

It's possible, if not likely, that investors will revalue the company if sales of D-Wave's quantum annealing system don't grow quickly enough, or if development of its gate-model system doesn't advance meaningfully this year. Investors should just be aware of those possibilities if wanting to speculate in the quantum annealing space.

The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV) generates income the straightforward way: it holds the stocks of the 500 largest U.S.

Gold has been on a run over the last year, and these two ETFs have benefited substantially from it.

Both the Sprott Gold Miners ETF (SGDM +5.73%) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU +2.99%) offer exposure to gold, but their strategies and risk profiles diverge sharply. This comparison unpacks their cost, performance, risk, portfolio makeup, and trading characteristics to help investors decide which may better fit their objectives.

Snapshot (cost & size)MetricSGDMIAUIssuerSprottISharesExpense ratio0.50%0.25%1-yr return (as of Feb. 7, 2026)137.07%72.60%Beta0.530.14AUM$718.12 million$78 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.

IAU is more affordable with a 0.25% expense ratio compared to SGDM’s 0.50%, but its return over the last 12 months is substantially lower.

Performance & risk comparisonMetricSGDMIAUMax drawdown (5 y)-45.05%N/AGrowth of $1,000 over 5 years$2,735$2,690What's inside The iShares Gold Trust is designed to track the spot price of gold, offering direct exposure to physical bullion. With $78 billion in assets under management and a 21-year history, it serves as a highly liquid, low-cost vehicle for those seeking pure gold price exposure.

The Sprott Gold Miners ETF has a concentrated portfolio of 43 gold mining companies. Its top holdings include North American companies such as Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. (TSX:AEM.TO), Newmont Corp. (NEM +6.26%), and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (TSX:WPM.TO). Companies with higher revenue growth and lower debt-to-equity (D/E) ratios are given more weight within the portfolio.

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

What this means for investorsWhen investing in ETFs tied to the performance of precious metals, be aware of the heightened volatility that can come with it compared to common stock-based ETFs. Precious metals can be very volatile, especially during times of economic and geopolitical turbulence.

Given that gold is one of the most traded precious metals in the world, its price can fluctuate sharply. As of now, that has benefited investors, as the metal is benefiting from international entities increasingly purchasing it for their reserves, while the U.S. dollar has also weakened. But investors should still be mindful that sudden drops can occur.

Choosing between these two ETFs yields similar results, as both are tied to the performance of gold. SGDM has had better one-year performance, but when looking at price returns over a five-year span, they’re nearly identical. However, if some investors don’t feel comfortable with an ETF that only holds gold, then SGDM may be more suitable.

, /PRNewswire/ --

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

So What: If you purchased Simulations Plus 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=42476 https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=42439or 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 July 15, 2025, during market hours, Benzinga published an article entitled "Simulations Plus Sees Weaker Demand Persist, Outlook Softens." The article stated that Simulations Plus shares had declined "following the release of [Simulations Plus'] third-quarter 2025 earnings report." The article stated that Simulations Plus had reported sales of $20.4 million, representing a 10% year-over-year increase, but this fell short of the consensus estimate of $20.9 million." Further, "[t]his miss followed preliminary third-quarter sales figures released in June, which were already lower than expectations at $19 million to $20 million, compared to a consensus of $22.78 million."

On this news, Simulations Plus' stock fell 25.75% on July 15, 2025.

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 achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. 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.

The price of XRP has shown a sheer amount of resilience after a couple of red days for the general crypto market. The altcoin has managed to return to around $1.5 over the weekend, reflecting a nearly 25% jump since reaching its latest local low.

However, this fresh burst of momentum seems to be just that, a short-lived moment of positivity that might not translate to the long-term trajectory. According to the latest on-chain data, the XRP price might still be tilting more towards the bearish side of the market.

Low Funding Rate Signals Reduced Appetite In Derivatives Market In a recent Quicktake post on the CryptoQuant platform, Arab Chain revealed that belief might be increasingly exiting the XRP derivatives market. This on-chain observation is based on changes in the funding rates on Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.

For context, the “funding rate” metric estimates the periodic fee exchanged between traders in the derivatives market of a particular cryptocurrency. A positive funding rate often signals that the long traders (investors with buy positions) are paying a fee to short traders (investors with sell positions) in the derivatives market, while a low funding rate metric implies that the payment is the other way round.

Source: CryptoQuant As shown in the chart above, the XRP funding rate on Binance has been in a notable decline over the past few days, recently dropping to around -0.028, reflecting its lowest level since April 2025. According to Arab Chain, this shift signals a clear move toward defensive positioning and hedging against further downside.

The on-chain analyst revealed that a deeply negative funding rate shows the level of pessimism in the market, as traders are more willing to pay a premium to hold short positions. This trend is even more damaging, considering the decline seen by the XRP price in the past few weeks.

Arab Chain wrote in the Quicktake post:

Historically, funding rates reaching extreme negative levels often coincide with advanced stages of downtrends, when a large portion of traders are already positioned short.

While low funding rates have sometimes set the stage for temporary rebounds triggered by a return of speculative demand, they often reflect heightened caution and reduced risk appetite in the market. Nevertheless, this funding rate level also suggests that any uptick in sentiment could catalyse “faster-than-expected” price moves.

XRP Price At A Glance As of this writing, the price of XRP stands at around $1.44, reflecting an over 1% decline in the past 24 hours.

The price of XRP on the daily timeframe | Source: XRPUSDT chart on TradingView Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView

In brief A crypto conference in Miami was subdued amid Bitcoin’s latest slide. Some speakers acknowledged a shift away from meme-based assets. Others expressed frustration with Reddit after a cease and desist demand. If there’s one thing that WallStreetBets loves to do, it’s marvel at losses that other community members sustain when making outsized bets on stocks and crypto. But at a recent conference in Miami, not many degen traders were left standing by the conference’s last day.

At [REDACTED] Live, a conference devoted to the most reckless traders in finance, dealers stood ready at blackjack and roulette tables, waiting for conference-goers to try their luck. They didn’t have much to do, and all the while, Bitcoin and Ethereum plunged alongside precious metals, beginning a crypto market slide that would get much worse in the following days.

Despite a last-minute name change, the conference formerly known as WallStreetBets Live was still slated to host names like Jordan Belfort, the former stock broker who inspired a generation of so-called degens through his life’s portrayal in the “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

Ultimately, the character that became synonymous with charismatic persuasion and unapologetic greed in finance couldn’t attend. Martin Shkreli’s scheduled session also fell through, leaving attendees without the controversial investor known as the “Pharma Bro.”

In some ways, the conference’s lack of attendees showed how niche a fandom toward the bombastic Reddit community had grown—and crypto by extension. Some attendees recalled how hard it was to navigate the floors of the Miami Beach Convention Center in 2021, when a Bitcoin conference made it feel like the industry was tipping into the mainstream.

By many measures, digital assets have become legitimized in traditional finance since then. But following a series of booms and busts in the cryptosphere—from NFTs to meme coins—digital assets haven’t been embraced broadly by the general public yet.

Dealers stood ready at blackjack and roulette tables. Image: André Beganski/DecryptAn event organizer told Decrypt that around 1,300 attendees registered for [REDACTED] Live.

“Fundamental value”A few speakers that attended the conference portrayed a shift from speculation to tokenization, allowing people to access real-world assets as digital tokens in a way that dovetails with the community serving as a digital breeding ground for meme stocks.

Bitget CEO Gracy Chen said onstage that meme coins lack “fundamental value.” And although the Seychelles-based exchange has listed several popular meme coins, including Pepe and President Donald Trump's official token, she said that doesn’t mean she’s generally bullish on them.

Mezcal, the pseudonymous founder of token launchpad America.Fun, structured his presentation for the platform that lets users create and trade meme coins around the notion that Solana’s so-called trenches are dead. But by charging users $200 per meme coin created, he argued that his platform is less likely to support a mix of low-quality tokens on similar platforms that essentially amount to spam.

According to its documentation, America.Fun solely uses World Liberty Financial’s USD1 stablecoin, and trading fees collected by the platform may be used for buybacks of WLFI, the token offered by the DeFi project backed by President Donald Trump and his sons. 

Ogle, a pseudonymous advisor to World Liberty Financial, is an advisor to America.Fun as well, Mezcal told Decrypt. Mezcal added that it was his first time visiting the country.

The Davos of degensAlthough enthusiasm toward assets that trade on vibes and bravado associated with WallStreetBets had dimmed, as far as the conference went, the same “us vs. them” mentally that defined the GameStop saga of 2021 still smoldered.

At least, that was from the perspective of WallStreetBets founder Jamie Rogozinski. Instead of waging war against Wall Street short sellers, he told Decrypt that his camp was now at odds with Reddit after it forced the event to change its name through a cease and desist letter.

With days to go, the conference went from “WallStreetBets Live” to “[REDACTED] Live.” Throughout the venue, all mentions of the name were patched over with new banners.

U.S. courts have ruled that Reddit owns the trademark to WallStreetBets, and in December, the Supreme Court declined to review a lawsuit brought by Rogozinski, per Bloomberg Law.

That didn’t prevent Rogozinski from rolling with the title for months. And he argued that Reddit is mostly concerned with how WallStreetBets has expanded beyond its platform.

“There is a resounding demand for this collective mindset to be able to unite,” he said. “I believe that the reason why Reddit is doing what they are doing specifically against me is because they are afraid that precisely that is what's happening.”

A Reddit spokesperson told Decrypt that it “occasionally trademarks the names of certain communities to protect the creativity and interests of the users.”

Jaime Rogozinski (left) interviews Brittany Kaiser (right). Image: André Beganski/DecryptMartin Masser, head of growth at TON Foundation, told Decrypt the outcome of Rogozinski’s legal tussle with Reddit sets a “dangerous precedent” because it creates the perception that people aren’t entitled the ownership of their data or the social media communities they create. 

He pondered whether YouTube could try to assert ownership over Mr. Beast’s media empire, for example. The sentiment was shared by AlphaTON Capital CEO and whistleblower Brittany Kaiser, who previously wrote amicus briefs to support Rogozinski’s case.

“A lot of the people here used to be considered rebels, deviants, or people doing something that was niche,” she told Decrypt, noting that she had just returned stateside from her 12th trip to Davos, Switzerland. “Now what we’re doing is not niche at all.”

FTX flashbacksFor South Florida locals like Alex Hochberger, founder and CEO of crypto startup Web3 Enabler, [REDACTED] Live felt like a mixed bag.

The bar was open at 9 a.m., as it should be at any Miami gathering, he told Decrypt. But there was something about an “anti-establishment conference [being] priced for people with corporate credit cards” that didn’t fully sit right with him.

Hochberger argued that general admission should’ve been free. Still, a couple dozen people had shown up early on the conference’s final day to watch former White House Communications Director and SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci kick things off.

Like Belfort and Shkreli, Scaramucci wasn’t able to make an appearance in-person. Still, he offered wisdom via a pre-recorded video, including that “you got to get up.”

Image: André Beganski/DecryptAs Scaramucci recalled his life’s biggest knockdowns—including losing his prominent White House gig after just 11 days—a brief clip of Sam Bankman-Fried shuffling in handcuffs played, depicting the former FTX CEO’s arrest in 2022. 

When FTX still had the naming rights to the arena where the Miami Heat play professional basketball, he was celebrated as someone that could turn the city into a major crypto hub. His conviction for orchestrating a massive, multibillion-dollar fraud would later stain the industry.

Scaramucci conceded that he let Bankman-Fried, who received a 25-year prison sentence for orchestrating a multi-billion fraud, acquire a 30% stake in Skybridge weeks before its collapse. But Scaramucci noted that setbacks can be temporary.

“It looked really bad for us,” he said. “But if you operate with integrity, even when you’re having a bad situation happen to you, you can survive—and there’s plenty of opportunities.”

Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.

The first Friday of February was supposed to be a day of joy for Pi Network, but it backfired.

Although it was created over half a decade ago, the controversial Pi Network project and its native token officially launched just under a year ago. Since then, the Core Team has deployed numerous updates, it has dabbled with AI, tried to improve some of its sluggish systems, but the results have been… mixed, so far.

The latest post from the Core Team was meant to be more positive and to celebrate a valid portion of the vast Pi Network community. However, it attracted significant backlash immediately.

Celebrating Pi Network Moderators Every First Friday of February (FFF day), Pi celebrates Moderator Appreciation Day! Today is about recognizing the moderators who make the Pi Network community what it is. Thanks to all Pi moderators for their incredible volunteer efforts in supporting the Pi community—assisting…

— Pi Network (@PiCoreTeam) February 6, 2026

The video itself tried to recognize moderators who “make Pi Network’s community what it is,” as they are volunteers and are not employed or paid by the Core Team. They help moderate charts, answer Pioneers’ questions, monitor Pi apps and products, report bugs, and test new features.

Additionally, they translate Pi into other languages, moderate Fireside Forums, and try to keep the conversations helpful, safe, and respectful.

“Behind answered questions, updates, and chatrooms, Moderators help ensure the Pi experience runs smoothly for everyone!”

The Backlash It was a statement like that last one that caught the attention of some of the Pi Network Pioneers. While many users agreed that Moderators should be praised and respected, some raised valid questions about the lack of tangible progress on several fronts.

Joann&Joe urged the Core Team to “speed up the progress-it’s been dragged out over and over again,” after indicating that they should “stop messing around with all that superficial nonsense.”

You may also like: Bitcoin (BTC) Plunges Before the FOMC Meeting, Pi Network (PI) Soars by 15%: Market Watch Chialo20’s approach was similar, indicating that the team behind Pi Network has been holding him for “7years plus now not to migrate my Pi coins, just migration stage, and this is not fair.”

A. A. Gada tried to remind the Core Team that “many pioneers are still stuck in ‘tentative approval’ for their KYC status. We hope you can improve this situation.”

It’s worth noting that the team recently published an update claiming that they have unblocked millions for mainnet migration, and promised new changes are coming soon.

Tags:

Journalist

Posted: February 8, 2026

As Bitcoin slides deeper below recent cost bases, weak hands are capitulating. However, smart money might just be repositioning, rather than retreating.

Loss realization accelerated as Bitcoin [BTC] corrected by nearly 40–50% from its $126,000 peak to the $70,000-zone in the recent days, triggering fear-driven distribution. Retail and Short-Term Holders led the capitulation, dumping into losses as long liquidations cascaded across derivatives markets.

Panic intensified as the Fear & Greed Index sank to 5–20 too. All while liquidity thinned and amplified downside volatility.

Markets reacted with compressed depth and sharp downward wicks. Still, dip accumulation and institutional absorption emerged as countermeasures, stabilizing the sentiment slightly while traders remained defensively bearish.

Short-Term holder supply contracts as new demand fades Short-term holder dynamics have now extended the prior capitulation and whale divergence phase.

Initially, the STH supply expanded during the late-cycle rally, peaking near 8 million BTC as speculative demand surged. However, as the price corrected towards the $60,000–$70,000 band, distribution followed. The supply contracted steadily too, reflecting forced exits and loss realization.

Source: Joao Wedson/ X

Simultaneously, the 90-day net position change flipped deeply negative, with drawdowns nearing -1.5 million to -2 million BTC across cycles.

These developments signaled fading participation from new entrants. Retail accumulation stalled while underwater holders de-risked themselves.

Source: Joao Wedson/ X

That’s not all though as market liquidity thinned alongside this withdrawal. Without fresh inflows, upside continuation lost structural support. Instead, the data seemed to point to absorption and base-building. Hence, recovery now hinges on renewed demand, improved sentiment, and sustained positive net positioning.

Building on the prior supply contraction and distress flows, cost-basis stress remains the core driver. At the time of writing, Bitcoin was valued at just above $69,000. Since the STH realized price has been holding at around $92,000–$92,500, recent buyers have been left underwater.

Source: CryptoQuant

As this gap widened, the profitability compressed further. The STH-MVRV slid to about 0.75–0.78, confirming deep unrealized losses. Selling pressure followed as underwater holders de-risked themselves. Market sentiment weakened alongside this stress too.

Historically, such sub-1.0 MVRV zones mark washout phases. Thus, stabilization will now depend on the MVRV recovering towards 1.0 and the price reclaiming the cost basis. If loss flows taper while the price bases, capitulation could exhaust itself, allowing structure to rebuild gradually.

Retail optimism collides with whale caution Whale positioning seemed to be reinforcing the structural shift too. As BTC stabilized near $69,000 after heavy loss realization, the whale vs. retail Delta spiked above 0.8 – A sign that large players have been closing longs while opening shorts.

Source: X

This rotation followed cost-basis compression and weakening upside momentum. Whales aimed to hedge exposure and engineer consolidation, rather than chase recovery.

Meanwhile, retail flows remained directionally long, driven by dip-buy optimism and rebound expectations. Such a divergence widened the positioning imbalance.

As smart money de-risked into strength, volatility compressed and upside follow-through weakened. Consequently, market structure tilted towards range formation, reinforcing a near-term consolidation regime.

Final Thoughts Retail capitulation has been accelerating as STH supply contracts and cost-basis stress deepened.

Whale hedging and short positioning into weakness hinted at consolidation risk, leaving Bitcoin vulnerable to one final downside liquidity sweep.

After breaking his month-long silence toward the close of January, Shiba Inu lead ambassador Shytoshi Kusama has remained active on X, interacting with Shiba Inu and the rest of the X community.

Arthur Hayes Attributes Bitcoin Crash to ETF-Linked Dealer HedgingBitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes argues that recent Bitcoin price declines are being amplified by institutional dealer hedging tied to BlackRock’s ETF.Conversely, Pantera Capital’s Franklin Bi attributes the crash to a distressed Asia-based entity unwinding leveraged positions funded by the Japanese yen carry trade.Together, these theories suggest that Bitcoin's volatility is now increasingly driven by complex institutional trading strategies rather than retail sentiment.Arthur Hayes, the co-founder of BitMEX, suggested that institutional dealer hedging is exacerbating the recent downward pressure on Bitcoin prices.

In a February 7 post on X, Hayes pointed to structured financial products linked to BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT).

Sponsored

Sponsored

He argued that falling Bitcoin prices force financial institutions that issue these notes to sell the underlying asset to manage their risk exposure. Finance professionals refer to this process as delta hedging.

Hayes explained that these structured notes are often issued by major banks to provide institutional clients with exposure to Bitcoin. The products include specific risk-management features, such as principal-protection levels.

When market prices dip low enough to trigger these pre-determined levels, dealers must aggressively adjust their positions to remain risk-neutral.

While this mechanism is standard in traditional equity markets, Hayes noted that it creates a feedback loop in the crypto sector where selling begets further selling. This dynamic effectively accelerates the asset’s price collapse.

“I will be compiling a complete list of all issued notes by the banks to better understand trigger points that could cause rapid price rises and falls,” Hayes wrote.

However, Hayes clarified that he does not believe there is a “secret plot” to crash the market.

He emphasized that these derivatives do not inherently instigate market movements but rather amplify volatility in both upward and downward directions.

Sponsored

Sponsored

$BTC derivs don’t cause moves, they amplify in both directions. There is no secret plot crash the crypto mrkt. Give thanks that there are no bailouts so we can clear over leveraged tourists swiftly and resume Up Only!

— Arthur Hayes (@CryptoHayes) February 8, 2026 He added that the market should be grateful for the absence of bailouts, which would allow leverage to unwind naturally.

The commentary comes amidst a turbulent week for the cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin recently recorded its worst single-day performance since the collapse of the FTX exchange in November 2022.

Meanwhile, other market participants have attributed the decline to broader macroeconomic headwinds and even quantum computing security concerns.

For context, Pantera Capital General Partner Franklin Bi pinned the volatility on a distressed non-crypto entity rather than a typical industry fund.

Bi posited that the seller was likely a large, Asia-based player. This entity reportedly evaded early detection by market watchers because it lacks deep ties to crypto-native counterparties.

According to Bi’s theory, the entity was likely engaged in leveraged market-making strategies on Binance, funded by the Japanese yen carry trade.

These two analysis underscores a fundamental shift in the digital asset sector.

It shows that complex trading strategies, rather than retail sentiment alone, increasingly influence Bitcoin’s price action.

Disclaimer

In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.

TLDR: Tether now manages 140 investments, actively moving beyond stablecoin operations worldwide. The company hires 150 staff, boosting engineering, finance, and regulatory teams globally.  CFO Simon McWilliams centralizes London operations to strengthen governance and reporting. Tether scales down $20B fundraising plan to $5B, focusing on investors and profitability. Tether, issuer of the dominant stablecoin USDT with about $187 billion in circulation, is diversifying beyond crypto payments. 

It is moving into a global investment group as investors pushback trim a planned $15–$20 billion capital raise to around $5 billion.

CEO Paolo Ardoino says the firm remains profitable and strategically aligned, while expanding hires, investments, and governance under new CFO Simon McWilliams. 

Tether Expands Beyond Stablecoins into a Global Investment Group Tether, the issuer of the widely used stablecoin USDT, is accelerating its transformation from a crypto infrastructure provider into a diversified global investment group. 

According to the Financial Times, the company now manages around 140 investments spanning artificial intelligence, commodities, sports equity, and other sectors. 

 This strategic shift aims to reduce reliance on stablecoin operations while broadening revenue streams and market influence

According to FT, Tether is accelerating its expansion, seeking to evolve from a crypto infrastructure provider into a diversified group. Its portfolio now includes about 140 investments, headcount is around 300, and it plans to hire 150 more staff. Sources say new CFO Simon…

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) February 8, 2026

To support this growth, Tether’s workforce is scaling. The company currently employs roughly 300 staff and plans to hire 150 more. 

These new roles focus on engineering, regulatory compliance, finance, and venture investments. Offices in London, the UAE, Brazil, and Ghana indicate a deliberate push toward global reach and regulatory alignment.

Leadership changes are central to the expansion. New CFO Simon McWilliams is centralizing finance and operations in London. 

Sources say he is enhancing governance, streamlining reporting, and improving operational discipline. Centralizing key functions in a major financial hub positions Tether closer to traditional markets, signaling its intent to bridge crypto and conventional finance.

Despite growth, regulatory scrutiny remains. Market participants and regulators continue to request independent audits of Tether’s reserves, even though the company issues quarterly attestations.

Executives argue that strong profitability and transparent reserve management provide flexibility to pursue long-term growth while maintaining market confidence.

Capital Strategy, Investor Response, and Market Position Tether is simultaneously managing its capital strategy amid investor scrutiny. FT and Reuters report that the company considered a $15–20 billion fundraising scenario, potentially valuing it near $500 billion. 

Following investor feedback, the company is considering a smaller raise, possibly around $5 billion, emphasizing strategic alignment rather than headline figures. CEO Paolo Ardoino clarified that the higher amounts were hypothetical, used for planning, and not formal targets.

Profitability underpins this approach. Tether projects continued earnings growth in 2026, reducing reliance on external capital. 

Internal reinvestment allows the company to fund expansion into diversified sectors while maintaining operational control.

Investor sentiment is mixed. Some remain cautious due to valuation and transparency concerns. 

Nevertheless, Tether’s market dominance is a stabilizing factor. With USDT circulation exceeding $185 billion, the company maintains a strong revenue base and liquidity position.

This allows it to pursue investments across multiple sectors while mitigating crypto-specific risks. In conclusion, Tether is evolving from a stablecoin issuer into a diversified investment and technology platform. 

Through strategic hiring, governance enhancements, portfolio expansion, and disciplined capital management, the company balances ambition with prudence, positioning itself for sustainable long-term growth across digital and traditional financial markets.

Tether has built a portfolio of 140 investments spanning sectors from South American agriculture to a stake in Italian football club Juventus, according to a Financial Times report.

Summary

Tether holds 140 investments, from agriculture to Juventus, funded by USDT profits. The stablecoin giant plans 150 new hires as it builds a global “freedom tech stack.” Political ties and a $500B valuation push raise scrutiny over transparency and audits. The world’s largest stablecoin issuer expanded its workforce to 300 employees and plans to add another 150 staff over the next 18 months, mostly engineers.

CEO Paolo Ardoino presented Tether’s vision at a recent San Salvador conference, describing plans for a “freedom tech stack” across finance, intelligence, communications and energy.

USDT market value reached $185 billion from $5 billion in 2020, serving 500 million users as the main bridge between cryptocurrency and dollars.

The company generates tens of billions of dollars in annual profit from returns on assets backing USDT, which it retains rather than distributing to token holders.

Hiring spans AI filmmakers to regulatory affairs leads Tether’s expansion extends beyond engineering roles. LinkedIn job listings show openings for AI filmmakers in Italy, venture investment associates in the United Arab Emirates, and regulatory affairs leads in Ghana and Brazil.

The company registered in El Salvador with a base in Switzerland operates through a small executive circle that has shaped its direction.

A new London-based team now oversees finance and operations under chief financial officer Simon McWilliams. Employees work with limited visibility into other teams outside occasional gatherings in El Salvador or Lugano.

Conference exhibits displayed products including MOS bitcoin mining operating system, QVAC platform for AI agents, and WDK wallets enabling AI agents to accept Tether.

Investments include $775 million in Rumble, the right-leaning YouTube challenger that hosts Truth Social through its cloud service.

Tether shifted headquarters to El Salvador last year, welcomed by pro-crypto president Nayib Bukele.

Previous bases included Isle of Man and British Virgin Islands. The company is building an office tower in El Salvador where executives maintain close relationships with the Bukele administration.

Trump administration ties raise scrutiny ahead of funding round Tether maintains close ties to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, whose bank Cantor Fitzgerald serves as custodian for Tether’s US Treasury holdings and holds an investment in the company.

Brandon Lutnick, who succeeded his father as bank chair, attended the El Salvador conference and called Ardoino “one of Cantor’s closest partners and a close personal friend.”

The company hired experienced American lobbyists and recruited former Trump administration members for its US expansion.

A $15 billion to $20 billion funding round targeting $500 billion valuation faced pushback from some investors.

Tether publishes quarterly attestations from accounting firm BDO Italia but does not provide full audits.

A 2021 settlement with state and federal authorities addressed claims Tether misrepresented assets backing USDT’s dollar peg.

New York District Attorney and State Attorney General Letitia James sent a letter to Democratic lawmakers raising concerns that Tether provides law enforcement assistance only in limited circumstances.

Tether said it works closely with American enforcement agencies voluntarily despite lacking blanket legal obligations that bind US-regulated financial institutions.

The Bitcoin price climbed back above $71,000 over the weekend, extending its rebound after one of the sharpest sell-offs of the cycle sent the price briefly plunging toward $60,000 earlier this week.

The recovery comes as institutional investors appear to be treating sub-$70,000 bitcoin as a renewed buying opportunity, even while retail traders search for signs the market has reached a bottom.

Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley said in a CNBC interview that bitcoin’s pullback is landing differently with large investors than with long-time holders.

“I think long-time holders are feeling unsure,” Horsley said. “And I think the new investor set, institutions are sort of getting a new crack at the apple.”

Horsley added that some institutional buyers are now seeing price levels they believed they had permanently missed, as bitcoin gets “swept up” in a broader macro-driven selloff across liquid risk assets.

Retail traders are searching for a signal While institutions have been stepping in, retail participants have been scanning the market for confirmation that the sell-off has fully exhausted itself.

Sentiment platform Santiment said in a weekend report that retail traders are “meta-analyzing” the downturn, looking for proof that others are quitting before re-entering the market — behavior that often emerges near market lows.

“Retail traders are trying to meta-analyze the market, looking for signs of others quitting to time their own entries,” Santiment wrote.

Google Trends data reflects the spike in attention. Worldwide searches for “Bitcoin” hit a score of 100 for the week starting Feb. 1 — the highest level in the past 12 months — as bitcoin’s price whipsawed from above $81,000 down to $60,000 before rebounding.

Searches for the term “crypto capitulation” also surged, rising from 11 to 58 in the week ending Feb. 8.

Federal Reserve cuts are coming for the bitcoin price Adding to all this, ProCap Financial CIO Jeff Park suggested bitcoin price’s next major bull-market catalyst may not come from Federal Reserve rate cuts — but from bitcoin’s ability to rise even in a tightening environment.

Park described a scenario where the bitcoin price climbs alongside higher interest rates as the asset’s “holy grail,” challenging traditional assumptions about liquidity and the global monetary system.

Last week, crypto exchange Bithumb said it accidentally sent out more than $40 billion worth of Bitcoin during a promotional rewards event after a payout error gave some users thousands of BTC instead of a small cash reward.

The exchange quickly restricted trading and withdrawals, recovering 99.7% of the excess Bitcoin and stressing the incident was not caused by hacking or a security breach.

A small amount — about 125 BTC worth roughly $9 million — remains unrecovered, and Bithumb said it will cover the losses with corporate funds.

Bitcoin price was trading above $71,400 at the time of publication, stabilizing after days of extreme volatility that rattled both crypto and broader financial markets.

Micah Zimmerman

Micah first discovered Bitcoin in 2018 but remained a skeptic on the sidelines for too long. Since 2021, he has covered crypto and business and now works as a news reporter for Bitcoin Magazine, based in North Carolina.

Visa and Mastercard say there is no product-market fit for stablecoins in developed markets. Nine stablecoins, led by Tether and USDC, now have market caps above $1 billion.

Gold is a metal that has long been used as currency. At one point, paper currency was backed by a gold reserve. That's no longer the case, but gold is still seen as a store of wealth because it is a physical asset. In the digital world, things are different. Investors have taken to cryptocurrency Bitcoin (BTC +2.36%) as a store of wealth. Is that a good idea in light of recent divergent price moves in gold and Bitcoin?

Gold is rising and volatile Geopolitical and economic concerns have investors on edge. Sure, the S&P 500 is trading near all-time highs, but that hasn't stopped Wall Street from buying gold as a hedge against a market or economic crash. To be fair, gold has risen dramatically over the past year, though sometimes in a volatile fashion. As a commodity, gold is prone to material price swings. Given the emotionally driven price advance, the swing can be pretty large even on a day-to-day basis.

Image source: Getty Images.

Still, gold is a physical asset. If you buy a gold coin, it will still be a gold coin 100 years from now. That means you can use it to buy things in a worst-case scenario, no matter what happens on Wall Street or Main Street.

The problem with Bitcoin Bitcoin is a digital asset. The only value it has is the value that other owners of the asset assign to it. Like gold, Bitcoin is highly volatile. Also like gold, investors view it as a store of wealth because it exists outside government control. Unlike gold, however, Bitcoin isn't a physical asset. That limits its use in the worst scenarios, like a total economic collapse.

Today's Change

(

2.36

%) $

1642.27

Current Price

$

71090.00

Such a dire outcome is unlikely. However, there's still a good reason to question Bitcoin's value as a store of wealth. This is evident in Bitcoin's price not always moving in the same direction as gold's. From a historical perspective, gold's role as a diversification tool and store of wealth is well established. Bitcoin has been around for a few years, but compared to gold, it is still a brand-new asset class. It's largely untested as a store of wealth.

Until Bitcoin has been through a deep bear market or recession, there's no way to know whether it will be a store of wealth like gold has historically been. Only the most aggressive investors should own Bitcoin, thinking that it is a store of wealth like gold.

Of course, it's also true that only the most aggressive investors should allocate more than a small portion of their assets to gold. Speculating on gold or Bitcoin price moves isn't for the faint of heart.

TLDR: Bitcoin historical halving cycles show 363-406 day pattern from ATH to bottom across 2012, 2016, and 2020  October-November 2026 identified as highest probability window for cycle bottom based on time analysis  Ultimate price target ranges between $45,000-$50,000 with current accumulation starting at $60,000 zone  NUPL on-chain indicator has not yet reached capitulation levels seen in previous 2018 and 2022 bottoms  A cryptocurrency analyst has shared a detailed thesis suggesting Bitcoin could continue declining throughout 2026.

The prediction relies on historical halving cycle data spanning over a decade. Analyst, Wimar. X tracks both temporal and price-based metrics.

This approach differs from the conventional price-only analysis that many traders employ. The forecast anticipates a cycle bottom occurring between October and November 2026.

Time-Based Analysis Points to Late 2026 Bottom The analyst’s methodology centers on measuring days from all-time highs to cycle lows following Bitcoin halvings. Historical data shows the 2012 cycle took 406 days to reach bottom.

The 2016 cycle required 363 days for the same journey. Meanwhile, the 2020 cycle saw 376 days pass before hitting its lowest point. These numbers cluster within a narrow range, creating a predictable pattern.

Building on this consistency, the current cycle projects a similar timeline. The analyst calculates October through November 2026 as the highest probability window for the next major bottom.

This time-focused strategy removes emotional decision-making from the equation. According to the post, buying during this window will occur regardless of price levels.

The analyst emphasizes that most market participants miss optimal entry points. They focus exclusively on price action while ignoring temporal patterns.

This narrow view leads to missed opportunities when historical windows align. The time-based approach aims to prevent getting “front run” by market movements.

Wimar.X stated that execution of daily purchases worth $500,000 begins when either time or price conditions trigger.

🚨 BITCOIN WILL KEEP DUMPING IN 2026

Here's my thesis on the next cycle bottom timing.

And it's not just about price.

I track BTC on 2 axes.

TIME + PRICE.

Most people only watch price.
That's why they every time MISS the best entries.

First, the TIME axis.

Days from ATH to… pic.twitter.com/99oAiveoEJ

— Wimar.X (@DefiWimar) February 8, 2026

The commitment to this strategy remains firm despite market volatility. Past predictions have already materialized, including the recent drop into the $60,000 range.

Price Targets and On-Chain Indicators Signal Further Downside The price component of the analysis sets $60,000 as an initial accumulation zone. The analyst began purchasing Bitcoin after prices entered this territory.

However, waiting for perfect price levels can result in missing entire market moves. This pragmatic approach balances patience with opportunistic buying.

A lower price target sits between $45,000 and $50,000 by year-end 2026. This range represents the analyst’s “ultimate bottom target” for aggressive accumulation.

The prediction acknowledges the current risk of lower lows materializing. Market conditions remain uncertain, but historical precedent guides the strategy.

Net Unrealized Profit/Loss serves as the third analytical pillar. This on-chain metric successfully identified cycle bottoms in 2018, during the COVID crash, and in 2022.

Current readings show the market has not yet reached the capitulation zone. The NUPL indicator historically appears in a specific blue zone during major bottoms.

The analyst’s experience dates back to 2016, providing perspective through multiple market cycles. Prior predictions, including calls made when Bitcoin traded near $114,000, have proven accurate.

The framework combines quantitative analysis with disciplined execution across both time and price dimensions.

Sun, 8/02/2026 - 15:35

Bitcoin just posted a massive 7,132% liquidation imbalance as shorts are left exposed in a $59 million wipeout in just four hours. Is this the start of a reversal or just a "dead cat" squeeze?

Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

Bitcoin's latest liquidation data by CoinGlass reveals an aggressive short wipeout that may hint at a major turning point. In just four hours, $59.11 million in short positions were liquidated compared to only $828,780 in longs, creating a 7,132% imbalance. 

Considering that, over 24 hours, shorts accounted for $102.44 million out of $120.19 million total liquidations, the data suggests aggressive mispositioning into local weakness. While such imbalances often precede bounce attempts, the hope of any sustainable upside depends on whether organic demand replaces the forced buy pressure by short sellers.

Nevertheless, for now, bears have lost the round.

HOT Stories

Bitcoin skyrockets, but not in priceBitcoin just delivered one of those liquidation prints that changes the tone of a whole week — not because the price "feels better" but because the market paid a bill, and it was paid by short sellers.

According to CoinGlass data, right now shorts are getting wiped out much harder than longs across every major time window. In the four-hour cut, total BTC liquidations hit $59.94 million, with shorts at $59.11 million versus only $828,780 in long liquidations.

That short-to-long ratio works out to about a 7,132% ratio. In other words, it was a one-sided squeeze for BTC, not a natural deleveraging event.

Source: CoinGlassSo, does a bullish liquidation imbalance — the "7,132%" number those bullish on crypto are pleased to see — end a bear market? No. It ended the positioning that was offside.

You Might Also Like

The real signal is what happens after the squeeze fuel is gone: does spot demand hold, do bids rebuild above reclaimed levels and do funding and open interest reinflate without instantly flipping into another overcrowded long?

This imbalance print is still meaningful. But a "regime change" for Bitcoin needs follow-through, not just forced buybacks.

Related articles

Sun, 8/02/2026 - 15:46

Michael Saylor posted "Orange Dots Matter" hint over a chart showing 713,502 BTC holdings during Bitcoin's crash to $60,000 and rebound to $71,000, hinting at a possible buy by Strategy.

Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

Michael Saylor just added fuel to Bitcoin dip-buy rumors with a cryptic three-word caption: "Orange Dots Matter" — the one he randomly posts on Sundays. Captioned alongside a Strategy purchase chart showing 713,502 BTC held at an average cost of $76,052, the comment dropped right as Bitcoin rebounded from a brutal low near $60,000 back to $71,318.

While no official filing confirms a fresh buy, the visual timing of new orange dots on the chart — which is used to mark strategy acquisition points — has triggered speculation. The $50.70 billion reserve now shows a -6.56% unrealized loss, adding pressure to theories that Strategy may have averaged during the last Friday crash.

Did Strategy buy $60,000 BTC dip?Bitcoin’s whiplash week just saw a new plot twist in Michael Saylor's usual code-like way with the now-usual chart. 

HOT Stories

For those not familiar, those orange dots represent Strategy purchases across past cycles. This time, however, the overlay lands at an awkward moment for the cryptocurrency.

Source: Michael SaylorOn the TradingView chart of BTC/USDT, following the last Friday bloodbath, the price slid hard into $60,000 before snapping back to $71,318 by Sunday, Feb. 8. Of course, considering the kind of dip, a simple question was forced into every timeline: did Strategy add again?

The chart Saylor highlighted supplies the numbers that make the hint feel intentional. It shows a Bitcoin reserve value of $50.70 billion, with total holdings of 713,502 BTC, an average cost of $76,052 and an unrealized drawdown near -6.56%, or about $3,562,233,986, as of Feb. 8, 2026.

You Might Also Like

On the other hand, there is no formal filing attached to the post, and that is the point of the tease. Strategy’s buys are typically confirmed later on Mondays through official disclosures, which means the market is left to read behavior, not press releases. 

In that information vacuum, "Orange Dots Matter" is like a signal flare: watch the dots and expect confirmation to arrive after the bounce is already on the chart.

Related articles