Market Signal Briefing

Top bluechip crypto assets are heading into the weekend flashing something traders rarely ignore these are negative 30-day MVRV readings. Ethereum sits at -14.3%, while Bitcoin follows at -6.9%, with Chainlink (-5.1%), XRP (-4.1%), and Cardano (-2.0%) close behind. 

In simple? Average trader returns are below zero. That doesn’t guarantee a bounce. But it does change the risk calculus.

MVRV Says “Discount” in Top Bluechip Crypto AssetsSantiment’s 30-day MVRV isn’t hype-driven. It simply measures average returns over the last month and signals when assets drift into undervalued or overvalued territory. And right now, the message is blunt, as onchain chart shows large caps are sitting below their usual neutral zone.

Ethereum is the most discounted of the group. That -14.3% figure implies short-term holders are deep enough underwater to historically tilt conditions toward relief moves. 

Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s -6.9% suggests milder pressure, but still below equilibrium. LINK/USD, XRP/USD, and ADA/USD are also slightly negative but not extreme, yet far from overheated.

Well, undervalued doesn’t automatically mean instant rally. But, it means positioning risk skews differently.

Momentum Still BTC & ETH-LedTechnically speaking, correlation remains obvious. The Bitcoin price chart and ETH/USD structure continue to dictate broader bluechip behavior, even in 2026. 

Also, XRP price prediction chatter on social platforms like X, and Cardano price prediction threads, and even Chainlink price prediction setups all are discusssed in correlation to first born crypto’s even today. Even on price action these tend to shadow whatever direction BTC/USD and ETH/USD establish first.

Despite distinct fundamentals and ecosystems, these five assets are moving in similar momentum waves. When the first movers consolidate, the rest pause. When they expand, liquidity rotates outward.

So yes, there’s slight divergence in absolute price levels. But trend timing? Strikingly aligned.

Relief Rally Levels to WatchShort-term projections put potential relief levels around $98,737 for BTC/USD, $3,474 for ETH/USD, $2.37 for XRP/USD, $0.49 for ADA/USD, and $14.84 for LINK/USD. These aren’t moon targets but they’re structural resistance markers.

If reclaimed and consolidated above, long-term sentiment would flip more constructive. But, if rejected, the reset phase extends and lower lows remain possible in all top 5.

And that’s the uncomfortable part. Because while MVRV says “discount,” price structure says “prove it.”

Additionally, the Accumulation-style consolidation has been visible across the board in 2026. But Top bluechip crypto trends won’t sustainably pivot unless leadership breaks decisively. Until then, undervalued readings reflect opportunity and risk in equal measure.

Trust with CoinPedia:CoinPedia has been delivering accurate and timely cryptocurrency and blockchain updates since 2017. All content is created by our expert panel of analysts and journalists, following strict Editorial Guidelines based on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Every article is fact-checked against reputable sources to ensure accuracy, transparency, and reliability. Our review policy guarantees unbiased evaluations when recommending exchanges, platforms, or tools. We strive to provide timely updates about everything crypto & blockchain, right from startups to industry majors.

Investment Disclaimer:All opinions and insights shared represent the author's own views on current market conditions. Please do your own research before making investment decisions. Neither the writer nor the publication assumes responsibility for your financial choices.

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Plutus, the native smart contract language for Cardano, has welcomed a new release as the network prepares for its intra-era hard fork.

According to Cardano updates, an X handle dedicated to Cardano releases and updates, a new version of Plutus, 1.58.0.0, has been released.

This follows efforts by Cardano's core technology teams to expand Plutus built-in functionality scheduled for activation in protocol version 11 alongside stability improvements across networking and mempool handling.

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Cardano's next protocol upgrade is an intra-era hard fork to protocol version 11, introducing targeted improvements across Plutus performance, ledger consistency and node-level security. All these will occur without changing transaction shape or transitioning to a new ledger era.

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This week, node v.10.6.2 was released in preparation for the intra-era hard fork. Additionally, foundational work was added to support the upcoming intra-era hard fork (protocol version 11) and the future Dijkstra era (protocol version 12), preparing the node for the next phase of protocol evolution.

Cardano hard fork updateCardano's intra-era hard fork to protocol 11 has been officially confirmed as van Rossem hard fork, Intersect stated this in a Feb. 19 update.

Over the past week, the hard fork naming info action ended voting with final tallies putting the DRep support at over 80% of all active DRep stake. This represents overwhelming support, officially confirming the protocol version 11 hard fork as the van Rossem hard fork.

Cardano node version 10.6.2 was released this week (promoted from the 10.6.2 pre-release containing hard fork functionality, which can be tested on SanchoNet). This release contains improvements that strengthen node stability and networking.

The 10.6.2 release is not intended to be the mainnet hard fork candidate release; 10.7 will have further improvements, making it the target for the hard fork.

SanchoNet has been upgraded using the newly-released Cardano node 10.6.2 and is now running protocol version 11. There is also an accompanying DB-Sync pre-release available, which supports hard forking to protocol version 11.

The Cardano node 10.7.0 release is targeted for within the next two weeks. This node release will be used for fork preview, preprod and then the Cardano mainnet.

As the crypto industry adopts AI-focused blockchain netowrk it is exposing itself to more security risks. IoTeX, a blockchain platform built for real-world AI, recently suffered a major security hack, resulting in nearly $8 million in losses.

Here’s how the hack happened & how the IoTeX team is responding to it. Are users’ funds safe?

How The IoTeX Hack Happened?PeckShield, a blockchain security firm, said the hacker carried out the attack after compromising a private key. As a result, the hacker had complete access to the token safe and could take out various cryptocurrency assets.

The hacker compromised several tokens, including USDC, USDT, IOTX, PAYG, WBTC, and BUSD. They withdrew these assets directly from the smart contract vault, showing they had authorized access rather than exploiting a smart contract bug.

The attack turned serious when the hacker allegedly used the same access to create 111 million CIOTEX tokens.

This unauthorized token creation increased the scale of the damage and raised concerns about token supply integrity.

Stolen Funds Converted From ETH to BitcoinThe hacker quickly began the process of transferring the stolen assets after stealing the money.

Later, the hacker traded the stolen tokens for Ethereum. The hacker then used the THORChain cross-chain protocol to bridge Ethereum to Bitcoin.

This step makes tracking and recovery more difficult, as funds move across different blockchain networks and become harder to freeze.

Following the hack, the IoTeX native token IOTX drop 7%, trading below $0.050 with a market cap hitting $47.46 million.

IoTeX Team Responds With Investigation In reaction to the hack, IoTeX was quick to post on X confirming that they were aware of the hack and were working to investigate the issue.

The team confirmed that they were working with major crypto exchanges and blockchain security partners to trace back the stolen funds and stop any further movement.

We are aware of recent reports regarding suspicious activity involving an IoTeX token safe. Our team is fully engaged, working around the clock to assess and contain the situation.

Initial estimates indicate the potential loss is significantly lower than circulating rumors…

— IoTeX (@iotex_io) February 21, 2026 At the same time, exchanges and partners are helping monitor wallets linked to the attacker and may freeze assets if they enter centralized platforms.

Trust with CoinPedia:CoinPedia has been delivering accurate and timely cryptocurrency and blockchain updates since 2017. All content is created by our expert panel of analysts and journalists, following strict Editorial Guidelines based on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Every article is fact-checked against reputable sources to ensure accuracy, transparency, and reliability. Our review policy guarantees unbiased evaluations when recommending exchanges, platforms, or tools. We strive to provide timely updates about everything crypto & blockchain, right from startups to industry majors.

Investment Disclaimer:All opinions and insights shared represent the author's own views on current market conditions. Please do your own research before making investment decisions. Neither the writer nor the publication assumes responsibility for your financial choices.

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IoTeX’s cross-chain bridge was hit by a private key exploit on February 21, draining over $8 million in crypto assets and sending the IOTX token tumbling. The attack, which unfolded between 7 and 9 AM UTC, gave the hacker control over IoTeX’s TokenSafe and MinterPool contracts.

On-chain analyst Specter was among the first to flag the breach, reporting that the attacker drained $4.3 million in tokens including USDC, USDT, IOTX, PAYG, WBTC, and BUSD. The stolen assets were quickly swapped to ETH, with approximately 45 ETH bridged to the Bitcoin network.

But that was only part of the damage.

Attacker Minted Millions in CIOTX and CCS TokensBeyond the initial drain, the hacker exploited the compromised contracts to mint $4 million in CIOTX tokens and $4.5 million in CCS, pushing total estimated losses toward $9 million.

Blockchain security firm PeckShield confirmed the exploit on X, writing: “The IoTeX Bridge has been hacked for over $8M worth of crypto due to a compromised private key. The hacker has swapped the stolen funds to $ETH and has started bridging them to BTC via THORChain.”

Three attacker addresses have been publicly identified so far.

IoTeX Says Actual Losses Are LowerIoTeX confirmed the breach by 10:30 AM UTC and pushed back on the circulating estimates. The team stated that “initial estimates indicate the potential loss is significantly lower than circulating rumors suggest.”

The company added that it has “already coordinated with major exchanges and security partners, which are actively assisting in tracing and freezing the hacker’s assets.”

We are aware of recent reports regarding suspicious activity involving an IoTeX token safe. Our team is fully engaged, working around the clock to assess and contain the situation.

Initial estimates indicate the potential loss is significantly lower than circulating rumors…

— IoTeX (@iotex_io) February 21, 2026 IOTX Price Reacts to the ExploitIOTX is currently trading near $0.0049, down 9.2% over the last 24 hours, with daily volume surging over 507%.

This incident follows a rough stretch for cross-chain bridges in 2026. Just three weeks ago, CrossCurve lost $3 million in a separate bridge exploit, and January alone saw nearly $400 million in total crypto thefts industry-wide.

IoTeX says the situation is “under control” and has promised continued updates. Analysts are now watching whether the frozen funds can be recovered before the attacker moves them further.

Trust with CoinPedia:CoinPedia has been delivering accurate and timely cryptocurrency and blockchain updates since 2017. All content is created by our expert panel of analysts and journalists, following strict Editorial Guidelines based on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Every article is fact-checked against reputable sources to ensure accuracy, transparency, and reliability. Our review policy guarantees unbiased evaluations when recommending exchanges, platforms, or tools. We strive to provide timely updates about everything crypto & blockchain, right from startups to industry majors.

Investment Disclaimer:All opinions and insights shared represent the author's own views on current market conditions. Please do your own research before making investment decisions. Neither the writer nor the publication assumes responsibility for your financial choices.

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A seasoned investor’s bold claim about XRP has reignited a common question in crypto markets: could a token built for fast settlement ever outgrow the original store-of-value?

According to posts on X by longtime Bitcoin backer Pumpius, if central banks adopt a single on-chain bridge, XRP could eclipse Bitcoin “by magnitude.”

On-Chain Tension And Policy Moves Reports note recent market moves that have worried policy makers and traders. The trading desk at the Federal Reserve requested indicative dollar/yen quotes after a sharp move in the yen, a step that Treasury officials had asked for.

That rare check underlines how currency volatility can push officials to consider new tools, and it has renewed talk about faster settlement rails.

Every Central Bank will use XRP as the bridge asset.

It’s now becoming a reality.

When this happens, XRP will surpass Bitcoin by magnitude.

Bookmark this. https://t.co/xyWxhVDCLx pic.twitter.com/kFTsXSw6Hn

— Pumpius (@pumpius) February 19, 2026

Ripple’s Timeline And Institutional Talk Based on reports from company briefings and executive posts, Ripple’s leadership sees 2026 as the year when larger, regulated players might put real money onto the XRP Ledger.

Ripple President Monica Long has sketched out scenarios where banks and asset managers run production systems tied to on-chain liquidity pools. Those views have been picked up across crypto news outlets and have added fuel to bullish narratives.

How Would A Bridge Asset Work? Imagine dollar and euro liquidity on a ledger, available for near-instant swaps. In practice, permissioned pools and regulated stablecoins could provide the rails while an on-chain order book or matching engine handles the trades.

Settlement times would be measured in seconds. Audit trails would be automatic. That said, large institutions put a premium on rules and oversight; any real rollout would be gradual and cautious.

XRPUSD currently trading at $1.44. Chart: TradingView XRP Vs. BTC: The Size Of The Gap Numbers matter. Bitcoin’s market cap sits comfortably in the trillions, while XRP’s market value is under $100 billion dollars, depending on which tracker you consult.

That gap is not small. For XRP to “flip” Bitcoin at present values would require trillions more in capital moving into the token — a shift that would likely need broad institutional flows and major regulatory clarity.

Geopolitics Adds Noise Geopolitical strain and trade frictions, amplified by speeches or decisions from leaders, can make markets jittery. US President Donald Trump has been named in debates over policy shifts and geopolitical risk, which in turn affect capital flows and safe-haven bids.

When politics moves markets, technical fixes such as faster settlement can look more attractive on paper; adoption in practice is another matter.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

TL;DR Bitcoin and gold reflect opposing expectations about US economic policy under Donald Trump, with investors using both assets as macro signals. Gold demand has increased alongside rising fiscal deficits and debt concerns, while Bitcoin trades as a bet on deregulation and pro-crypto reforms.

These REITs stand out in the crowded sector.

The real estate investment trust (REIT) sector is massive. According to the National Association of REITs (Nareit), there are currently 191 publicly traded REITs. They have a combined market capitalization approaching $1.5 trillion.

Given the sector's size, it's impossible to know about every REIT. Instead, investors should focus on the best the industry has to offer. Here are three REITs that every investor should know about.

Image source: Getty Images.

Federal Realty Investment Trust Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT +1.51%) stands out in the REIT sector for doing one thing exceptionally well. It has increased its dividend for an industry-leading 58 straight years. That qualifies it as a Dividend King, a company with at least 50 years of consecutive annual dividend increases. It's the only REIT that has reached Dividend King status.

The company focuses on investing in quality over quantity. It owns 104 high-quality open-air retail and mixed-use properties in the top suburban markets densely populated with high-income households. Despite being in business for more than six decades, Federal Realty has a much smaller portfolio than other retail REITs (e.g., Kimco owns 565 shopping centers and mixed-use assets).

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Federal Realty routinely upgrades its portfolio. It sells mature properties with lower rent growth upside to recycle capital into new properties with greater growth potential, and to fund redevelopment and expansion projects at its other properties. For example, it has sold $328 million of properties over the past few months, which helped fund the $340 million it spent on two new properties. It also announced plans to invest up to $120 million in the redevelopment of another property. This strategy of investing in quality over quantity should enable Federal Realty to continue increasing its dividend.

Realty Income Realty Income (O +0.92%) is the world's sixth-largest REIT with over $61 billion in real estate across nine countries. It's a global leader in net-lease real estate (properties secured by long-term triple-net leases, under which tenants cover all property operating costs). The landlord has a diversified portfolio consisting of over 15,500 retail, industrial, gaming, data center, and other properties leased to many of the world's leading companies, including FedEx, Walmart, and Home Depot.

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Net-leased properties provide very stable rental income. That enables Realty Income to pay a dependable monthly dividend. The REIT steadily increases its dividend. It has raised its payment for more than 30 straight years, including the past 113 quarters in a row.

New investments are the primary driver of the REIT's growing dividend. Realty Income spends billions of dollars each year to acquire stabilized properties and invest in build-to-suit development projects. It sees a massive $14 trillion opportunity to invest in net lease real estate across the U.S. and Europe.

Prologis Prologis (PLD +1.78%) is one of the world's largest REITs. It owns interests in nearly 5,900 buildings in 20 countries. The REIT has over $215 billion in assets under management, including properties it owns outright and those held in investment funds it manages.

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Prologis primarily invests in warehouses. These logistics properties are vital to supporting the global economy. A staggering $3.2 trillion in goods flows through its distribution centers each year, representing 2.9% of global GDP.

The REIT has also begun investing in data centers to support the massive $7 trillion in investment needed for this digital infrastructure. Prologis estimates it could invest between $30 billion and $50 billion in developing data centers over the next decade, creating up to $25 billion in value for its investors.

The company's investments to grow its portfolio should enable it to continue increasing its dividend. Prologis has grown its payout at a 13% compound annual rate over the last five years, more than double the REIT sector's average of 6%.

These top REITs deliver durable and growing dividends Federal Realty Investment Trust, Realty Income, and Prologis are three of the top REITs. They have long histories of growing shareholder value, including steadily increasing their dividends. That makes them ideal REITs to buy and hold long-term.

Matt DiLallo has positions in FedEx, Home Depot, Prologis, and Realty Income. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Home Depot, Prologis, Realty Income, and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends FedEx. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Vita Coco's Stock Is Still Too Expensive After The Pullback

If the artificial intelligence (AI) buildout plays out the way bulls expect, Oracle (ORCL 5.40%) is positioned to win big.

Oracle is all in on AI Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) revenue is growing 66% year over year (YOY), and its backlog has exploded to over $523 billion on the back of massive AI contracts with Meta Platforms, Nvidia, and OpenAI. OCI is now the fastest-growing major cloud platform, beating Amazon Web Services and Microsoft's Azure.

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Oracle needs a lot to go just right The problem is that the company is betting the farm, so to speak. It's taking on tens of billions in debt and considering the sale of profitable business units to fund the data center buildout needed to serve its AI customers and collect on that massive backlog.

If all goes well, the bet will pay handsomely and leave Oracle as a dominant player in the industry. If it doesn't, the company could be in dire straits financially, and the stock would be in the proverbial tank.

Image source: Getty Images.

The verdict If you ask me, there's plenty of reason to believe that it won't play out how the bulls hope. The vast majority of that backlog is supposed to come from OpenAI, a company with financial commitments that absolutely dwarf even its top-line revenue, let alone its net income, which happens to be deeply negative.

That's not a risk-reward profile I like. Oracle is not a stock I would own at this point.

Johnny Rice has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Oracle. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Vishay Precision: AI Opportunity Keeping The Story Alive, But I'm Remaining Skeptical

Commerce is becoming fragmented, and prices on the basic building blocks of the economy are more volatile.

U.S.-Iran Nuclear Standoff Remains the Primary Driver of the Rally In my opinion, the primary driver of the rally was the U.S.-Iran nuclear standoff. It had been underpinning prices most of the week. With the U.S. sending another warship fleet and giving Iran a 10-to-15-day advanced warning of attack, the situation escalated, reinforcing gold as a safe-haven asset.

Supreme Court Tariff Ruling Knocks the Dollar, Sending Gold Higher The second most influential factor was the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down President Trump’s broad tariff powers. The news drove down the U.S. Dollar, which had been edging higher at the time, making gold more attractive to foreign buyers. Later in the trading session, prices rose further as traders reacted to Trump’s announcement of fresh global tariffs.

The Supreme Court first declared illegal Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose global tariffs. He then said he would impose a 10% global tariff for 150 days to replace some of his emergency duties that the Court struck down. Both moves were read as bullish by traders.

Weak GDP and Sticky PCE Trim June Rate Cut Odds but Fail to Derail the Rally Gold traders showed little reaction to mixed U.S. economic news that dampened the chances of a Fed rate cut in June. U.S. GDP was weaker than expected and PCE inflation came in as expected but still above the 2% mandate. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, this drove the chances of a June rate cut lower from 50.2% on Thursday to 45.6% at Friday’s close.

The economic data drove the dollar higher, so gold’s gains may have been limited at the time, but the dollar turned lower and gold gained further once the tariff news came out at around 14:30 GMT.

Technical Outlook: $5108 High Puts Gold Just Under Key Resistance at $5119 and $5143

indie Semiconductor: Still Waiting On Inflection

McDonald's collects reliable royalties and rent from its vast footprint of restaurants around the world.

McDonald's (MCD +0.61%) scale is easy to see, but the business model can be underappreciated. Most people view it strictly as a burger joint, yet the corporation owns a ton of valuable real estate. While independent operators run 95% of the 45,000 stores, the company owns 80% of the buildings and 56% of the land.

This structure provides shareholders with meaningful asset value that a typical restaurant stock lacks. It also allows McDonald's to collect rent and royalties as a percentage of sales. Every time menu prices or traffic increase, the bottom line grows without taking on the direct risk of rising food or labor costs.

McDonald's rent-heavy franchise model distinguishes it from competitors like Yum! Brands (YUM +0.29%) and Restaurant Brands International (QSR +0.38%). The combination of prime real estate, predictable rent collection, and high margin royalties has made McDonald's one of the market's most reliable long-term holdings, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Real estate and the Golden Arches The domestic asset base remains a visible anchor, but the reach of its property holdings is not confined to the United States. Most domestic investors focus on the local drive-thru, yet roughly half of the total book value sits within the International Operated Markets (IOM) segment. This includes premium urban locations in the U.K., France, and Germany.

From its global base, the company generates roughly $10 billion in annual revenue, which results in around $7.5 billion in net rental income. It typically employs triple net leases, which shift the burden of taxes, insurance, and maintenance to the franchisee, creating a stable source of cash flow to fund its dividend streak.

Image source: Getty Images.

According to Macquarie Asset Management, McDonald's real estate is likely worth around $120 billion, compared to a net asset value on the balance sheet of just $27.5 billion, since the properties are recorded at historical cost and depreciated over time. By holding these assets for decades, the company has built a property portfolio that is likely one of the most valuable in the retail world.

Defensive cash flow in a changing environment McDonald's is currently trading near all-time highs following the release of fourth-quarter results on Feb. 11. Global same-store sales grew 5.7% year over year, driven by 6.8% comps in the U.S. market, the fastest growth in over two years.

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A renewed focus on affordability through initiatives like the relaunch of Extra Value Meals and holiday campaigns featuring the Grinch reversed traffic trends. While the company has acknowledged that lower-income households have been under pressure for nearly two years, these value-oriented strategies successfully increased guest counts and average spend per visit.

The business generated $7.2 billion in free cash flow in 2025, providing plenty of capital for its routine share buybacks. In addition, McDonald's has raised its dividend for 49 consecutive years, and a 50th increase this fall would secure its status as a Dividend King.

At 24 times forward earnings, the stock trades in line with rival Yum! Brands, yet it's backstopped by a massive property portfolio worth over half its market cap.

In my view, Alphabet delivered the best hyperscaler results in Q4, with Google Cloud revenue up 48% yoy and operating margin expanding to 30.1%. Notably, Alphabet was the only hyperscaler showing both cloud margin expansion vs. the same quarter last year, driven by in-house TPUs, notably the 7th Gen Ironwood. The near-term overhang is CapEx. Alphabet guided $175–$185B in 2026 (vs. $91.4B in 2025), above the $115B consensus, and with the Street's FCF models showing only $24B this year.

Tech giants have committed to funneling hundreds of billions of dollars into Indian AI efforts, against the backdrop of a major summit in the country that's brought together world leaders and AI execs.

Record sums are being ploughed into AI as governments and companies across the globe race to roll out the technology. Hyperscalers — including the likes of Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and Alphabet — announced capital expenditure that could hit $700 billion on AI this year.

The past week has seen Indian tech group Reliance reportedly announcing plans to invest $110 billion into data centers and other infrastructure, and compatriot Adani outlining a $100 billion AI data center buildout over the next decade.

There were also big announcements from U.S. tech firms.

Microsoft said at the Indian AI Impact Summit that it was on pace to invest $50 billion in AI in the Global South by the end of the decade. OpenAI and chipmaker AMD both announced partnerships with Tata Group to build AI capabilities, and U.S. asset manager Blackstone also said it had participated in a $600 million equity raise for Indian AI infrastructure Neysa.

The commitments were announced during a summit that was also marked by points of controversy. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates withdrew from the event amid public backlash for his past relationship with deceased financier and sex predator Jeffrey Epstein. An Indian university was also criticized after claiming it had invented a commercially available Chinese-made robot dog.

India's AI potentialThe AI Summit came as India pushes to be one of the world's tech superpowers. The country has approved $18 billion of chip projects as it looks to bolster its local supply chain.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and India are edging towards a trade pact that would lower tariffs and increase economic cooperation between the two countries. Tech ties were deepened further at the event.

Representatives from both governments signed the Pax Silica agreement, a U.S.-led initiative launched by the Trump administration aimed at securing the global supply chain for silicon-based technologies.

The potential tech groups see in the market was evident in the roster of names in attendance. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Anthropic boss Dario Amodei and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis were all on the billing.

watch now

U.S. chip darling Nvidia announced it was expanding partnerships with venture capital firms in India as it looks to deepen exposure to promising tech companies being developed in the ecosystem.

While India's public markets were booming towards the end of 2025, private capital is still lacking, Anirudh Suri, founding partner of the India Internet Fund, told CNBC.

"What we've not maybe seen as much of right now is venture capital and private equity money to come in to invest in Indian entrepreneurs in the AI space," he said.

While India is seen as lagging behind the likes of the U.S. and China at the frontier of AI development, Microsoft President Brad Smith told CNBC that this could change in certain domain-specific areas.

"If you look at the...engineering talent, you quickly conclude India too can be a place where models are developed," he said. There will be a "variety of different DeepSeek moments" to come in the future and some of those will be in India, alongside places like China and other countries, Smith added.

watch now

But some say India is still playing catchup.

"India is making splashy attempts to kickstart its belated AI push, but it is doing so primarily by offering headline-grabbing sops without addressing many of the underlying difficulties of actually doing business in India," Udith Sikand, senior emerging markets analyst at financial research firm Gavekal, told CNBC.

HomeStock IdeasLong IdeasTech 

SummaryGitLab is transitioning from hypergrowth to disciplined scaling, with fundamentals outpacing its current valuation after a 60% stock decline.GTLB’s platform consolidation pitch is resonating: 13% of 10,000+ customers pay $100,000+ annually, and DBNRR remains robust at 119%.Revenue growth exceeds 25%, margins are expanding, and free cash flow is positive, yet the market is not rewarding these improvements.I lean slightly bullish, as GTLB’s steady execution and improving operating leverage could drive multiple expansion from today’s compressed 4x sales. NicoElNino/iStock via Getty Images

There are only really two ways to build developer software today. You can ship the best point tool in one narrow workflow and integrate everything else around it. Alternatively, you can try to own the entire lifecycle and

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.

Palantir has been one of the undisputed winners of the AI revolution. Burry says the good times won't last.

Michael Burry is something of a legend in the investing community. He made a name for himself by being among the first to predict the crash of the subprime lending market in 2008. His high-stakes bets yielded a veritable fortune, making him $100 million personally and $725 million for his investors. The movie that profiled these events, The Big Short, has become required viewing among the Wall Street set. So when Burry talks, investors tend to listen.

The famed investor recently made a rather dire prediction regarding Palantir Technologies (PLTR +0.24%). In a 10,000-word manifesto posted last week, Burry laid out his bear thesis against the artificial intelligence (AI) and data mining specialist. He listed several possible scenarios, resulting in outcomes ranging from $21 to $146 per share. He went on to suggest that the most likely scenario is that the stock has a fair value of $46 per share, or 65% below its current level. "I believe Palantir's recent winning streak will not endure," Burry says.

With all due respect, I think he's dead wrong.

Image source: Getty Images.

Objects in the rearview mirror Burry spends much of his analysis digging through Palantir's past, focusing on the fact that the company was unprofitable for much of the past two decades. He points out that many of Palantir's sales were one-offs, not generating any additional or recurring revenue.

Another point of contention was Palantir's heavy spending and significant losses, which plagued the company throughout much of its history. Bury also took issue with how the company accounted for its forward-deployed engineers and with the inclusion of certain costs in Palantir's research and development expenses. He also cited the "egregious stock-based compensation" compared with what he describes as "remarkably few dollars in revenue."

While these points offer an intriguing history lesson, Palantir's current results provide a compelling rebuttal.

Current circumstances Palantir's recent results paint the picture of a company firing on all cylinders. In the fourth quarter, revenue of $1.4 billion climbed 70% year over year and 19% quarter over quarter. This marked the 10th consecutive quarter of accelerating revenue growth. This drove adjusted earnings per share (EPS) up 79% to $0.25. Yet these impressive numbers tell only part of the story.

Revenue from Palantir's U.S. government segment jumped 66% year over year to $570 million. However, the headliner was the U.S. commercial segment, which soared 137% to $507 million.

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The results were fueled by unprecedented demand for Palantir's Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP). AIP connects to a variety of disparate systems, analyzes data, and provides companies with real-time solutions. This helped drive a total of 180 deals worth at least $1 million during the quarter, including 84 worth $5 million and 61 worth $10 million.

Palantir ended the quarter with a record $4.26 billion in total contract value (TCV), up 138%. Furthermore, the company's remaining performance obligation (RPO), or contractually obligated revenue that hasn't yet been recognized, surged 143% to $4.21 billion.

Finally, Palantir's so-called "rule of 40" score, which measures the earnings quality of software-as-a-service companies, comes in at 127%, when any number over 40 is considered financially healthy.

Simply put, these are hardly the metrics of a company in jeopardy.

Let's talk about valuation To be fair, there's one area of contention where Burry hits the nail on the head -- Palantir's valuation. The stock currently trades for 214 times earnings, and an only slightly more palatable 74 times next year's expected earnings.

Despite its rich valuation, Palantir is winning over Wall Street. Of the 27 analysts that have offered an opinion, 13 rate the stock a buy or strong buy, up from just six last month. What turned the tide? Palantir's blockbuster earnings report which illustrated yet another quarter of impressive financial growth and operational excellence.

Speaking of Wall Street, Analysts at D.A. Davidson took issue with Burry's assessment, reaffirming their valuation-based neutral rating and $180 price target on Palantir. "We read all 10,000 words in Michael Burry's newsletter and found no new reason to worry about Palantir," the analysts wrote. They went on to say that Burry's missive contained "no new evidence or argument" that would change their investing thesis.

With all due respect to Mr. Burry, I believe that Palantir's results speak for themselves. Sure, the stock is wildly overvalued, but the recent 35% decline in its stock price and rapidly accelerating earnings have already made a dent in its multiple. Investors looking to buy Palantir should consider adding on weakness -- like the recent stock price plunge -- or using dollar-cost averaging to establish a position.

IREN is rapidly transforming from bitcoin mining to AI and HPC data center infrastructure, leveraging its energy assets for higher-margin growth. AI services revenue at IREN surged 137% quarter-over-quarter to $17.3 million, with gross margins of 86%, while bitcoin revenue and margins declined. IREN projects $3.4 billion in ARR for 2026, with $2.3 billion already under contract, anchored by a major Microsoft deal used as financing collateral.

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India hosted one of the world's biggest AI events this week, but it was marred by chaos and confusion, apparently not the message it's trying to send as it strives to become a leading artificial intelligence player.

Despite the drama, U.S. tech firms in particular couldn't resist the temptation of the Indian market, talking up the country's AI potential and making a number of announcements.

I have been on the ground in New Delhi since Monday and I can honestly say that the AI Impact Summit has been one of the most challenging reporting assignments of my career.

Traffic has been a nightmare more than usual in the Indian capital. There were times it didn't move at all. On Wednesday, I had events and interviews at three different hotels and getting the team around to these appointments on time was a real challenge.

At one point on Thursday, were weren't even sure if we'd be able to enter the Bharat Mandapam, the venue where the summit took place. That's because instructions were not clear on when media would be allowed in on Thursday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the event.

We eventually found out we could enter at 6 a.m. local time. When we turned up, security did not let us in until later, not before a crowd of media had gathered at the gates. Inside, security were giving out conflicting instructions.

Several delegates expressed to me their frustrations over the organization of the summit.

The event itself was marred by other controversies. Bill Gates, who was named in the Epstein files, was scheduled to give a keynote address. There was then uncertainty if he would even turn up. The Gates Foundation had said earlier in the week that he would give the speech, but then on Thursday said the billionaire had pulled out.

Meanwhile, a university was reportedly kicked out of the summit for suggesting a robot dog they were showcasing was its own creation. A professor at Galgotias University told state-run broadcaster DD News that the robot, which was actually made by Chinese firm Unitree, was "developed" by the academic institution.

Online users called out the university, highlighting that the robot was made by a Chinese firm. The university denied claiming it had built the robot.

"We would like to clearly state that the robotic programming is part of our endeavor to make students learn AI programming and develop and deploy real-world skills using globally available tools and resources, given developing AI talent is [the] need of the hour," the university said, according to media reports.

Indian IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw apologized on Tuesday for the "problems" on day one.

Then, there was the hand-holding moment that went viral between two AI giants. Modi had delegates on stage with everyone holding hands. But OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei didn't do as they they'd been instructed, in a moment that instantly got scrutinized across social media. Altman later explained that he was "confused" and wasn't sure what he should be doing.

Days earlier, Anthropic ran a Super Bowl ad taking digs at OpenAI's decision to test advertisements in ChatGPT.

India's lureDespite all of these moments, the event pulled in a who's who of tech names from Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai to Altman, all of whom talked up India's advantages from a huge talent pool to a large consumer market.

"The excitement here, it's just been incredible to watch," Altman told me.

These tech firms used the week to make announcements and form partnerships around India.

OpenAI said it would be the first customer of Tata Consultancy Services' data center business. Google announced partnerships with researchers and education institutions for its Gemini artificial intelligence feature.

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Every CEO I spoke to praised India's tech development and focus.

The government used the opportunity to tout India's potential as an AI hub saying the country was aiming to attract $200 billion in AI investment over the next two years.

Even the blaring horns of the cars of New Delhi and the chaos of the Summit weren't enough to dampen the enthusiasm from big tech for India which continues to grow as a critical and attractive market for some of the world's largest firms.

Hedge fund manager Israel Englander recently sold shares of Nvidia and bought stock in Palantir.

Billionaire Israel Englander runs Millennium Management, a hedge fund that outperformed the S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.69%) by 38 percentage points over the last three years.

In the fourth quarter, Englander sold 3 million shares of Nvidia (NVDA +1.02%), trimming his position 17%. He also bought 543,300 shares of Palantir Technologies (PLTR +0.26%), doubling his stake.

While Englander is a good source of inspiration, the fourth quarter ended about 50 days ago, so investors need to reassess both stocks before making the same trades. Here are the important details.

Image source: Getty Images.

Nvidia: The stock Englander sold in the fourth quarter Nvidia dominates the market for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. While the company is best known for graphics processing units (GPUs), chips that accelerate AI applications, its greatest strength lies in vertical integration. Nvidia pairs superior GPUs with adjacent data center hardware and software development tools to provide a turnkey solution for AI.

Why does that matter? Nvidia can optimize the performance and power efficiency of data center infrastructure at the system level rather than the component level, which often means its computing platforms come with a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) despite high upfront costs. CEO Jensen Huang recently said, "I'm very confident that Nvidia architecture is the best performance per TCO."

Also, Nvidia's CUDA platform -- which comprises code libraries, pretrained models, and application frameworks -- is an unparalleled ecosystem of software tools that streamlines AI application development. It provides a starting point for AI projects that is not available on non-Nvidia systems, which affords the company a deep competitive moat, according to analysts.

Wall Street expects Nvidia's earnings to increase at 38% annually over the next three years, which makes the current valuation of 47 times earnings look attractive. However, Wall Street has consistently underestimated AI spending due to the rapid shift to agentic AI and more complex reasoning models, which means Nvidia's earnings may grow even faster.

So, why did Israel Englander trim his position in Nvidia? Perhaps he wanted to take profits or diversify his portfolio. But it would be wrong to assume he has lost confidence. Nvidia is still the third-largest holding in his hedge fund excluding options contracts.

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Palantir Technologies: The stock Englander bought in the fourth quarter Palantir develops data integration and analytics platforms, as well as adjacent AI software that lets developers build large language models into workflows and applications. While most analytics vendors focus on reporting and visualization, Palantir has distinguished itself by building software around a decision-making framework known as an ontology.

Experts have lavished Palantir with praise since the company introduced its AI software (called AIP) nearly three years ago. Forrester Research has recognized the company as a leader in AI decisioning platforms. The International Data Corporation has recognized its leadership in AI-enabled source-to-pay software. And Morgan Stanely has said Palantir is "emerging as the enterprise AI standard."

Meanwhile, Palantir's business fundamentals have been exceptional. Sales growth has accelerated in 10 straight quarters, and the company achieved an unprecedented Rule of 40 score (revenue growth plus non-GAAP operating margin) of 127% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley analyst Sanjit Singh wrote, "It is hard to find a better fundamental story in software than Palantir."

However, despite dropping 35% from its high, Palantir remains the most expensive stock in the S&P 500. It currently trades at 72 times sales, which is 60% higher than the next closest stock, Texas Pacific Land, at 42 times sales. Additionally, Wall Street estimates earnings will increase at 45% annually over the next three years, which makes the current price-to-earnings multiple of 212 look very rich.

So, why did Israel Englander buy the stock? Perhaps he anticipates a rebound in the near future, but his position is very small. Palantir does not rank among his top 50 holdings. I think individual investors can comfortably own a similarly small position.

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