Market Signal Briefing

TLDR Vitalik Buterin reassesses Ethereum’s Layer 2 scaling vision in light of faster-than-expected base layer growth. Buterin emphasizes that Ethereum’s Layer 2 networks have not achieved the full decentralization once envisioned. Leading rollups such as Optimism and Arbitrum have made progress but still face challenges in trustless execution and cross-chain interoperability. The original concept of Ethereum scaling with L2 rollups may no longer align with the network’s evolving needs. Vitalik Buterin advocates for more focus on native rollups and tighter integration of ZK-EVM technology into Ethereum’s base layer. Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s co-founder, is reassessing Ethereum’s Layer 2 (L2) scaling vision. His recent comments on X reflect concerns over the slow progress of decentralization in L2 networks. As Ethereum’s base layer scales, Buterin suggests that the framework positioning L2 rollups as quasi-native shards no longer aligns with the network’s current trajectory.

Vitalik Buterin Reassesses Ethereum’s L2 Scaling Approach In a shift from previous views, Vitalik Buterin has called for a reevaluation of Ethereum’s L2 scaling plans. Ethereum’s Layer 1 has grown faster than expected, while L2 decentralization has lagged. Buterin emphasized that L2s have not fully reached the decentralized “Stage 2” model once envisioned for Ethereum scaling.

There have recently been some discussions on the ongoing role of L2s in the Ethereum ecosystem, especially in the face of two facts:

* L2s' progress to stage 2 (and, secondarily, on interop) has been far slower and more difficult than originally expected
* L1 itself is scaling,…

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) February 3, 2026

L2 networks, such as Optimism and Arbitrum, have achieved milestones but still face challenges. They trail in achieving full decentralization and cross-chain interoperability. Buterin’s reassessment highlights these shortcomings and questions whether L2s can fulfill their intended promise of scaling Ethereum.

Ethereum L2 Struggles to Meet Expectations The original vision for Ethereum L2s was to provide a scaling solution with a trustless, decentralized environment. However, the progress has been slower than anticipated, especially in the areas of cryptographic guarantees and interoperability. Despite advancements in L2 rollups, such as Base and Arbitrum, they still fall short of full decentralization and are not yet fully integrated into Ethereum’s core system.

Buterin’s recent comments suggest that Ethereum L2 must adapt to the evolving network dynamics. Ethereum’s base layer, with increasing gas limits and scalability, may make L2 solutions less crucial in the future. This shift calls into question whether L2 rollups will remain the go-to solution for Ethereum scaling as Layer 1 becomes more capable.

The Shift Toward Native Rollups and ZK-EVM Integration As Ethereum’s base layer grows more robust, Vitalik Buterin and others in the Ethereum community have started focusing more on native rollups. These rollups, integrated more deeply into the Ethereum protocol, could replace the need for separate L2 solutions. Buterin has expressed growing support for native rollups, particularly those built around zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs, which offer more efficient and secure scaling.

The development of ZK-EVM technology is key to this shift. It has the potential to enable more seamless integration between the Ethereum base layer and rollups. This move could lead to a more streamlined approach to scaling Ethereum while maintaining decentralization and security, a shift that Buterin believes aligns better with the network’s long-term goals.

The council has engaged in policy lobbying, such as efforts for state blockchain adoption, hosting the North American Blockchain Summit in Dallas, and promoting initiatives, including the Texas Bitcoin Reserve.

The Texas Blockchain Council (TBC) and Chainlink Labs have entered into a strategic partnership to advance digital asset standards across the state.

Under the collaboration, Chainlink Labs and TBC members are engaging policymakers and industry leaders on secure digital asset infrastructure and high-impact blockchain use cases for Texas.

Led by President Giovanni Capriglione, the TBC is a nonprofit association dedicated to establishing Texas as a premier US center for blockchain, Bitcoin, and digital asset innovation.

The council brings together over 100 member companies to advocate for crypto-friendly legislation, educate policymakers, and advance economic development through blockchain-based solutions integrated with energy infrastructure.

The organization has played a role in shaping state legislation, including the establishment of the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

Bitcoin dived below the $73,000 mark on Tuesday, hitting its lowest price in nearly 16 months.

The world's oldest cryptocurrency sank as low as $72,884.38, falling more than 6% on the day. That's its lowest level since Nov. 6, 2024, when the token traded at $68,898.

Bitcoin performance over the past year.

Bitcoin has fallen 16% in the year-to-date as investors have continued to rotate out of risk-on assets amid mounting geopolitical concerns and as the release of crucial U.S. economic data is delayed due to a partial government shutdown.

Strategy, a bitcoin treasury firm, was trading down 9% following the digital asset's pullback.

Ethereum’s price crash continued its strong downward trend this week, reaching its lowest level since June 23 as the crypto market dive accelerated.

Summary

Ethereum price continued its strong downward trend this week. The network’s transactions and active users have soared in the last 30 days. Technical analysis suggests that ETH price has more downside to go in the near term. Ethereum (ETH) token dropped to a low of $2,180, down by over 54% from its highest level since August last year. This retreat has brought its market value to over $274 billion.

Ethereum has crashed despite the ongoing network and ecosystem boom as companies like Fidelity, JPMorgan, and Janus Henderson embrace its network for their tokenized assets.

Data compiled by Nansen shows that Ethereum’s network is firing on all cylinders. For example, the number of active addresses jumped by 45% in the last 30 days to over 15 million.

Another metric shows that the number of transactions jumped by 40% in the last 30 days to over 68 million, the highest level in years.

Ethereum transactions have soared | Source: Nansen This growth has pushed its chain fees to over $15 million, up by 40% in the last 30 days. This growth occurred even as Ethereum transaction fees have continued to fall over the past few months.

More data show that Ethereum’s decentralized exchange network continued to rise in January, a trend that will likely continue in the coming weeks. Its DEX networks rose to over $52.8 billion in January from $49 billion in December last year. The most notable DEX networks are Uniswap, Curve Finance, Fluid, and Balancer.

Most importantly, Ethereum has become a major player in the real-world asset tokenization industry, with its distributed asset value rising by 15% over the last 30 days to over $14.4 billion. Its stablecoin market capitalization rose to over $165 billion.

Ethereum price technical analysis  ETH price chart | Source: crypto.news  The daily timeframe chart shows that the ETH price has been in a strong downward trend in the past few weeks. It crashed recently after forming a bearish flag pattern, which consists of a vertical line and an ascending channel. 

Ethereum price has dropped below the 61.8% Fibonacci Retracement level at $2,753. It moved below the 50-day moving average and Supertrend indicator.

ETH is forming a bearish pennant pattern, a common continuation pattern in technical analysis. It has also moved below the Supertrend indicator.

Therefore, the most likely Ethereum price prediction is bearish, with the next key support level being at $2,000. 

Bitcoin hits lowest level since Trump’s 2024 election win, triggering $620M in liquidations as ETH, SOL, and XRP tumble.

Bitcoin crashed below $74,000 on Tuesday, falling more than 6% to hit its lowest level since November 2024, when Donald Trump secured his second presidential term.

The leading digital asset had climbed from $74,000 following Trump’s election victory to an all-time high of nearly $126,000 in October 2025. The rally was driven by expectations that his administration would pursue crypto-friendly policies.

Since then, the administration has taken a more lenient stance. A new SEC chair was appointed, the GENIUS Act passed, discussions around the CLARITY Act advanced, and a White House crypto council was established.

Still, these moves haven’t pushed digital assets higher. Investors appear to be expecting more concrete action from the Trump administration to revive momentum.

Bitcoin has now posted four consecutive monthly losses. Tuesday’s drop also marks a new low for 2026, erasing gains from the January rally that briefly pushed prices to $95,000.

The selloff swept across major crypto assets. Ethereum fell nearly 10% to $2,100, Solana dropped 10% to $97, and XRP slid 6% to $1.52.

More than $280 million in positions were liquidated in the past hour, with 24-hour liquidations exceeding $620 million, according to CoinGlass data.

Traditional markets also declined, with the S&P 500 losing 1.4% and the Nasdaq shedding over 2% as risk-off sentiment spread across asset classes.

XRP plunges 6% as bitcoin drops under support, worsening downtrendXRP fell alongside a broad risk-off move in crypto that pressured majors and high-beta tokens alike. Feb 3, 2026, 7:24 p.m.

What to know: XRP slid about 6.3 percent to roughly $1.54 in a broad crypto sell-off, with no token-specific catalyst behind the move.The break below the key $1.60 support level triggered heavy, likely forced selling, and rebound attempts have so far failed to reclaim $1.56.Traders say XRP must hold around $1.50 and then retake $1.60–$1.62 to ease downside pressure, with a break lower opening room toward about $1.38 and potentially $1.02.XRP sold off sharply as broader crypto weakness pushed price through a key floor, with heavy volume suggesting forced selling rather than a slow drift lower.

News BackgroundXRP fell alongside a broad risk-off move in crypto that pressured majors and high-beta tokens alike. There was no XRP-specific catalyst driving the drop; instead, the move looked positioning-led, with sellers accelerating once technical support gave way.The decline follows a choppy period where rebounds struggled to attract follow-through, leaving XRP vulnerable when market-wide sentiment turned.Price Action SummaryXRP fell about 6.3%, sliding from $1.65 to $1.54The break below $1.60 accelerated sellingVolume surged at the breakdown, consistent with forced activityPrice held near $1.54 into the close after a late-session flushTechnical AnalysisXRP broke decisively below $1.60, triggering a high-volume selloff that pushed price toward $1.54. The bounce attempts that followed failed to reclaim $1.56, keeping near-term structure bearish.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Former support around $1.60–$1.62 now flips into resistance, with sellers defending rallies. The market is now trading around a key decision area: if $1.50 doesn’t hold, the next downside zones traders reference sit near $1.38, with a deeper risk level around $1.02.

Key levels:

Support: $1.54, then $1.50Resistance: $1.56 first, then $1.60–$1.62What traders say is next?Traders see this as a breakdown-first tape: any rebound is suspect until XRP can reclaim $1.60–$1.62 with volume.If $1.50 holds, XRP may stabilize and build a base — but bulls need to get back above $1.56 quickly to reduce downside pressure.If $1.50 breaks, traders expect momentum to extend toward $1.38, with risk of a deeper move if broader market weakness persists.

This moment is quite precarious for Bitcoin. After rejecting the upper boundary of its long-standing ascending channel, Bitcoin has transitioned into a corrective phase, pulling back toward a critical support zone around $65,000.

Summary

Bitcoin corrected lower after rejecting the channel high resistance $65,000 aligns with POC, Fibonacci, channel low, and daily support Bullish volume is required to confirm a macro bottom and rotation higher The current Bitcoin (BTC) price is just above $73,000. Following a rejection at the upper boundary of a long-standing ascending channel, the largest digital asset by market cap has transitioned into a controlled pullback rather than a disorderly sell-off.

This corrective move has gradually guided the price lower toward a region that carries significant technical weight across multiple analytical frameworks.

The $65,000 level is now emerging as a focal point for market participants. This area represents not just a psychological round number, but a dense cluster of technical confluences that historically attract demand.

As Bitcoin approaches this zone, the market is testing whether buyers are willing to defend the value and establish a potential bear-market bottom within the broader macro uptrend.

Bitcoin price key technical points Corrective rotation from channel high: Bitcoin respected upper channel resistance before rotating lower. $65,000 aligns with multiple confluences: Daily support, Fibonacci retracement, channel low, and POC converge. Bullish volume required for confirmation: Accumulation must be backed by strong demand to validate a bottom. BTCUSDT (1W) Chart, Source: TradingView From a structural perspective, Bitcoin remains within a clearly defined higher-timeframe trading channel. The recent move lower followed a clean rejection at channel high resistance, reinforcing the integrity of this structure. Rather than breaking down impulsively, price has respected the channel dynamics, suggesting that the move lower is corrective rather than trend-ending.

After the rejection, Bitcoin initially rotated toward the value area low, a zone often associated with downside exploration following failed attempts at higher value. This rotation also coincided with the channel midpoint, a level that frequently acts as a pivot between bullish continuation and deeper corrective phases. Once price lost acceptance above both the channel midpoint and the value area high, downside pressure accelerated.

This loss of key mid-range levels triggered a cascading move lower toward the point of control (POC), where the highest historical trading volume has occurred. Importantly, this POC region is near $65,000, reinforcing its potential as a stabilization zone.

Why $65,000 is a high-probability support zone The $65,000 level stands out due to the sheer number of technical factors converging at this price. First, it represents a daily support level that has previously acted as both resistance and support, making it a well-recognized reference point for market participants.

Second, the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement of the prior impulsive move aligns closely with this region. The 0.618 level is widely monitored as a corrective support zone within trending markets and often serves as a location where larger players re-enter positions.

Third, $65,000 sits near the lower boundary of the higher-timeframe channel, completing a textbook channel rotation from high to low. When price respects both channel extremes, it strengthens the validity of the structure and increases the probability of mean reversion back toward the midpoint.

Finally, the presence of the point of control in this area suggests that the market views this zone as fair value. When price returns to the POC after a directional move, it often pauses or reverses as buyers and sellers reassess positioning.

Volume, accumulation, and market psychology While technical confluence increases the probability of a reaction, confirmation depends heavily on volume behavior. For $65,000 to act as a meaningful bear market bottom, Bitcoin must show signs of accumulation, characterized by strong bullish volume influxes and slowing downside momentum.

Without volume confirmation, any bounce risks being short-lived. However, if buyers step in aggressively and defend this level, it would signal that demand is present at discount prices. This type of behavior is often observed near macro bottoms, where long-term participants accumulate while short-term sentiment remains cautious.

From a psychological standpoint, a successful defense of $65,000 would also reinforce confidence in the broader market structure. It would demonstrate that Bitcoin continues to respect its channel framework, even during periods of corrective pressure.

What to expect in the coming price action From a technical, price-action, and market-structure perspective, Bitcoin is approaching one of the most important support regions in the current cycle. The $65,000 level has multiple strong confluences that increase the likelihood of a bear-market bottom forming.

If bullish volume emerges and price stabilizes within this zone, a rotational move back toward the channel midpoint becomes increasingly probable, keeping the broader uptrend intact. Failure to attract demand, however, would weaken the channel structure and increase downside risk.

As Bitcoin tests this region, the market’s response will provide critical insight into whether $65,000 becomes a defining macro bottom or merely a temporary pause within a deeper corrective phase.

XRP Price Prediction: Ripple Supports Tokenization of $280M in Diamonds on XRPL XRP

Ad Disclosure

Ad Disclosure

We believe in full transparency with our readers. Some of our content includes affiliate links, and we may earn a commission through these partnerships. However, this potential compensation never influences our analysis, opinions, or reviews. Our editorial content is created independently of our marketing partnerships, and our ratings are based solely on our established evaluation criteria. Read More

Ad Disclosure

Ad Disclosure

We believe in full transparency with our readers. Some of our content includes affiliate links, and we may earn a commission through these partnerships. However, this potential compensation never influences our analysis, opinions, or reviews. Our editorial content is created independently of our marketing partnerships, and our ratings are based solely on our established evaluation criteria. Read More

Anas Hassan

Crypto Journalist

Anas Hassan

Part of the Team Since

Jun 2025

About Author

Anas is a crypto native journalist and SEO writer with over five years of writing experience covering blockchain, crypto, DeFi, and emerging tech.

Has Also Written

Ad Disclosure

Ad Disclosure

We believe in full transparency with our readers. Some of our content includes affiliate links, and we may earn a commission through these partnerships. However, this potential compensation never influences our analysis, opinions, or reviews. Our editorial content is created independently of our marketing partnerships, and our ratings are based solely on our established evaluation criteria. Read More

Last updated: 

12 minutes ago

Ripple announced today that it will support Billiton Diamond and leading tokenization provider Ctrl Alt in tokenizing over AED 1 billion ($280 million) of certified polished diamonds held in the United Arab Emirates.

The XRP price prediction suggests this initiative could expand access to diamond investment through Ripple’s institutional-grade blockchain, the XRP Ledger (XRPL), potentially enabling the XRP token to resume its bullish trend toward $2.00 and beyond.

Reece Merrick, Ripple’s Managing Director for Middle East & Africa, emphasized the significance, saying that “the initiative shows how Ripple’s technology can bridge the gap between physical assets and the digital economy, utilizing our enterprise-grade custody solution to secure high-value diamond assets with unrivaled trust and security.”

Ripple is proud to support Billiton Diamond and @CtrlAltCo who have tokenized over AED 1 billion ($280m) of certified polished diamonds on the XRPL.

This initiative shows how @Ripple's technology can bridge the gap between physical assets and the digital economy, utilising our…

— Reece Merrick (@reece_merrick) February 3, 2026 $1.2B ETF Inflows Drive Institutional DemandBeyond infrastructural expansion, the strongest argument for XRP in early 2026 remains growing institutional demand for Ripple’s token.

The most immediate catalyst is the substantial volume of capital absorbed by spot ETFs.

Since the debut of the first U.S. spot XRP ETF in November 2025, the institutional vehicle has attracted over $1.3 billion in cumulative inflows.

Source: SosoValueThis initial phase has functioned as a regulated mechanism that absorbed floating supply while maintaining continual demand for XRP.

Analysts suggest this sustained institutional buying pressure could drive a rapid recovery toward the $2.00 level once technical conditions improve.

XRP Price Prediction: Overhead Supply Targets $2.00 BreakoutThe XRP daily chart reflects a market that remains under sustained corrective pressure, with price trading below all major moving averages and struggling to reclaim former support.

XRP is currently hovering around the $1.56 area after losing the critical $1.78 support, which now acts as a clear breakdown level.

This loss of structure confirms that bearish momentum is still dominant, as price continues to print lower highs and lower lows.

Source: TradingViewFrom a trend perspective, the 20, 50, 100, and 200-day EMAs are bearishly aligned overhead, reinforcing the idea that any short-term bounce is likely to face heavy resistance rather than evolve into a trend reversal.

The former support near $2.00 has flipped decisively into resistance, with additional overhead supply around $2.11 and $2.33, which align with prior consolidation zones and the descending moving averages.

A recovery toward these levels would require strong volume and a decisive daily close back above $1.78, which currently looks unlikely.

Momentum indicators also favor caution. The MACD remains in negative territory with a weak histogram, signaling that bearish momentum is still intact and that bulls lack conviction at current levels.

While selling pressure has eased slightly, there is no clear bullish divergence yet to suggest an imminent trend change.

As long as XRP remains below $1.78, the downside risk persists, with price vulnerable to a deeper move toward the next major support near $0.70 if broader market weakness continues.

Maxi Doge Raises $4.5M To Capture Rotation CapitalIf XRP reclaims $2.00 and resumes a bullish trajectory, presale projects like Maxi Doge (MAXI) could attract capital from investors pursuing high-ROI opportunities in alternative sectors.

Maxi Doge represents an early-stage memecoin following the Dogecoin playbook that generated over 10x returns during the 2023-2024 breakout cycle.

The presale has established an alpha channel enabling traders to share strategies and ideas, mirroring community-building tactics from early Dogecoin that cultivated engaged holder bases.

The MAXI presale has raised over $4.5 million, offering participants 70% annual staking rewards at the current $0.000278 price point.

Interested investors can participate by visiting the official Maxi Doge website and connecting a compatible crypto wallet like Best Wallet.

You can purchase $MAXI tokens directly using USDT, ETH, or a direct bank card for immediate access.

Visit the Official Maxi Doge Website Here

The following article is adapted from The Block's newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.

The euphoria of October’s record highs has evaporated, leaving the industrial backbone of the Bitcoin network facing a brutal reality check.

According to CryptoSlate's data, Bitcoin is currently trading near $78,000, a level that represents a punishing decline of more than 38% from its all-time high of over $126,000 just four months ago.

While casual observers might see a standard market correction, the view from inside the mines is far more dire. The steep drop in the flagship digital asset's price has collided with stubbornly high network difficulty and rising energy costs to create a perfect storm for operators.

Analytics firm CryptoQuant recently described miners as “extremely underpaid,” given the current combination of depressed prices and difficulty, with its profit-and-loss sustainability index slumping to 21. That is the lowest reading since late 2024.

Notably, the financial strain is already causing machines to go offline, resulting in Bitcoin’s total hashrate declining by about 12% since last November, the steepest drawdown since the China mining ban in 2021. This has left the network at its weakest level since September 2025.

For a system that sells itself as the most secure computer network in the world, this is more than just a bear-market story. It is a stress test of Bitcoin’s security model at a moment when miners have better-paying alternatives than ever before.

Bitcoin miners' capitulation mathsBitcoin’s security relies on a simple incentive structure in which the network pays a fixed block subsidy plus transaction fees to whoever solves the next block.

When prices were above $126,000 in October, the “security budget” was sufficient to cover inefficiencies. However, the margin for error has vanished as prices have crashed under $80,000.

New figures from the mining pool f2pool illustrate how severe the revenue compression has become.

On its Feb. 2 hardware electricity cost dashboard, the pool estimates Bitcoin’s price at around $76,176, network hashrate at near 890 exahashes per second (EH/s), and daily revenue at about $0.034 per terahash for miners paying $0.06 per kilowatt-hour.

Bitcoin Mining Electricity Cost Rate (Source: F2Pool)To put that in perspective, Luxor Technology’s Hashrate Index recorded spot hashprice near $39 per petahash per second (PH/s) per day only a few months prior.

That figure was already thin by historical standards before falling toward an all-time low of around $35 as of press time.

The current f2pool figure of $0.034 per terahash, equivalent to $34 per PH/s, confirms that miners are operating at the historical floor.

When those economics are mapped onto individual machines, it becomes clear why hashrate is falling.

At a reference Bitcoin price of $75,000 and the same six-cent power cost, electricity accounts for about 52% of revenue for Bitmain’s newest Antminer S21 XP Hydro units, which combine roughly 473 TH/s of hashpower with 5,676 watts of draw. Those are the best numbers available.

As the efficiency curve worsens, the math turns red. Mid-generation rigs, such as an Antminer S19 XP or an Avalon A1466i, exhibit electricity cost rates of approximately 92%-100% at that price point.

Meanwhile, older or less efficient models, including the Avalon A1366, Whatsminer M50S, and S19 Pro lines, show electricity cost rates ranging from approximately 109% to 162%.

In plain English, this means that at $75,000 Bitcoin and a mainstream power tariff, vast fleets of hardware are mining at a cash loss before even accounting for debt, hosting fees, or general expenses.

The AI escape hatchThis current revenue crash differs from previous crypto winters because the miners' distressed assets, like power contracts and grid connections, have a new, deep-pocketed suitor.

The same infrastructure that enables Bitcoin mining is precisely what hyperscale AI compute requires. And unlike the struggling Bitcoin network, AI infrastructure providers are willing to pay up.

The former mining operation CoreWeave has become emblematic of this shift. It pivoted from crypto to become a specialist “neocloud” for AI workloads and recently secured a $2 billion equity investment from Nvidia to accelerate its data center buildout.

In 2025, it sought to acquire miner Core Scientific in a multibillion-dollar deal, explicitly framing miners’ sites and power contracts as prime real estate for GPUs rather than ASICs.

Other public Bitcoin miners have taken the hint and are pivoting hard towards AI. For example, Canadian operator Hut 8 recently signed a 15-year, 245-megawatt AI data center lease at its River Bend campus, with a stated contract value of approximately $7 billion.

This deal effectively locks in long-term economics that differ markedly from the volatility of mining rewards.

For shareholders, these pivots offer a rational exit from the bleeding caused by the 30% price drop. They can swap cyclical Bitcoin revenues for contracted AI cash flows that investors currently value at a premium.

For the Bitcoin network, however, this raises a more difficult question: what happens when a component of its security infrastructure discovers a business that offers higher compensation?

Bitcoin's network security budget under siegeJeff Feng, co-founder of Sei Labs, called the current period “the biggest bitcoin miner capitulation since 2021,” arguing that large miners pivoting to AI compute are amplifying the drawdown.

The key difference from prior cycles is that some of this hash isn’t just powering down until the price recovers. It is being reallocated permanently.

CryptoSlate Daily Brief

Daily signals, zero noise.Market-moving headlines and context delivered every morning in one tight read.

5-minute digest 100k+ readers

Free. No spam. Unsubscribe any time.

You’re subscribed. Welcome aboard.

Once a 245 MW site is fully re-racked for AI under a long-term lease, that power is, in practice, unavailable for future hashrate expansion.

Make no mistake, Bitcoin remains extremely secure in absolute terms. Even after recent declines, the cost of amassing sufficient hashpower to attack the network remains immense.

However, the concern is about direction and composition rather than immediate collapse. A sustained decline in hashrate lowers the marginal cost of attacking.

With less honest hash online, it takes fewer resources to acquire a disruptive share of the network’s compute, whether through renting capacity or building it outright.

This trend also narrows the base of stakeholders paid to defend the chain. If older, higher-cost operators exit and only a handful of ultra-efficient miners remain profitable, control over block production becomes increasingly centralized.

This creates a fragility that is masked by the headline hashrate numbers.

So, CryptoQuant’s “extremely underpaid” label is effectively a warning that, at today’s block rewards and fees, a meaningful slice of industrial hash is operating on thin or negative margins.

It serves as a forward indicator of how robust the network’s security budget really is relative to competing uses of capital and electricity.

How will Bitcoin miners survive?From here, the miner squeeze could influence Bitcoin’s evolution in several distinct ways.

One path is quiet consolidation. Difficulty resets, the most efficient operators capture a larger share of block production, and hashrate grows more slowly than in previous cycles but remains large enough that few outside specialists notice.

For investors, the primary effect is volatility, as each market drawdown compresses a narrower group of miners, thereby increasing their selling and hedging behavior.

Another path would accelerate Bitcoin's transition to fee-driven security faster than the halving schedule alone implies. If subsidies remain light relative to AI returns, the ecosystem may have to rely more on transaction fees to keep miners fully engaged.

That could mean greater focus on high-value settlement at the base layer, more activity on second-layer systems, and a wider acceptance that block space is a scarce resource rather than a cheap commodity.

A third, more speculative path would see external backstops become explicit. This would mean that the same institutions that normalized spot Bitcoin ETFs might eventually view the security budget as they view bank capital ratios, as something that can require deliberate support.

That could take the form of higher fees for certain transaction classes, industry-funded incentives for miners, or scrutiny of AI conversions that materially dent hashrate in key regions.

Notably, none of those outcomes would require a break with Bitcoin’s core design. All involve the industry deciding, in a more crowded energy market, how much it is prepared to pay to keep hash on the network rather than in GPU clusters.

At present, the f2pool dashboard provides a snapshot of that negotiation. A system with about 890 exahashes per second of compute and a price of approximately $76,000 is paying roughly 3.5 cents per terahash per day for its security.

Whether future energy investments accept that rate or demand something closer to AI economics will determine how the mining market ultimately pivots.

Mentioned in this articlePosted in

NEW YORK, Feb. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (“Atara” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: ATRA).  Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Atara and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. 

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On January 12, 2026, Atara issued a press release “announc[ing] that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Complete Response Letter (CRL) for the EBVALLO™ (tabelecleucel) Biologics License Application (BLA) as monotherapy treatment for adult and pediatric patients two years of age and older with Epstein-Barr virus positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (EBV+ PTLD), who have received at least one prior therapy including an anti-CD20 containing regimen.”  Atara said that “[t]he CRL indicates that the FDA is unable to approve the EBVALLO™ BLA in its present form” because, according to the CRL, “the single arm ALLELE trial, which was previously confirmed by the FDA as adequate to support the BLA filing, is no longer considered to be adequate to provide evidence of effectiveness for accelerated approval.  Furthermore, the FDA stated that the trial’s interpretability is confounded due to trial study design, conduct, and analysis.” 

On this news, Atara’s stock price fell $7.79 per share, or 56.99%, to close at $5.88 per share on January 12, 2026.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.   

CONTACT:
Danielle Peyton
Pomerantz LLP
[email protected]
646-581-9980 ext. 7980

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 3, 2026) - WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of common stock of Integer Holdings Corporation (NYSE: ITGR) between July 25, 2024 and October 22, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important February 9, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Integer common stock 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 Integer class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=49170 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 February 9, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

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

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Integer materially overstated its competitive position within the growing electrophysiology ("EP") manufacturing market; (2) despite Integer's claims of strong visibility into customer demand, Integer was experiencing a sustained deterioration in sales relating to two of its EP devices; (3) in turn, Integer mischaracterized its EP devices as a long-term growth driver for its cardio and vascular ("C&V") segment; (4) as a result of the above, defendants' positive statements about Integer's business, and operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Integer class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=49170 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/282557

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. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of  PDD Holdings Inc. (“PDD” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: PDD).  Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether PDD and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. 

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On January 19, 2026, Bloomberg reported that the Chinese government has broadened a probe into PDD, dispatching a special investigation team of over 100 regulators from various agencies, including the State Administration for Market Regulation (“SAMR”), alleging misconduct ranging from fraudulent deliveries to taxation issues. According to the Bloomberg article, the investigation was partially triggered by physical violence that had broken out between PDD employees and SAMR inspectors in the previous month. 

On this news, PDD’s American Depositary Receipt (“ADR”) price fell $2.30 per ADR, or 2.15%, to close at $104.46 per ADR on January 20, 2026.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:
Danielle Peyton
Pomerantz LLP
[email protected]
646-581-9980 ext. 7980

HomeDividends AnalysisDividend IdeasUtilities 

SummaryNRG Energy has dramatically outperformed NextEra Energy and the S&P 500 over the past five years.Last week, NRG received all approvals needed to close the LS Power acquisition and did exactly that last Friday.Today, I will provide an advanced peek at NRG's Q4 earnings expectations (due out on Feb. 27) and discuss the debt load taken on for the LS Power acquisition.Lastly, I will compare NRG with America's largest utility company - NextEra - to see which company might be the better performer over the coming 12 months.Conclusion: Sell NRG, Buy NEE. An engineering depiction of utility scale gas turbine blades inside energy generation machinery and the precision manufacturing required.

primeimages/iStock via Getty Images

Many investors might be surprised that a relatively low-profile utility company like NRG Energy (NRG) has not only dramatically outperformed its arguably flashier peer NextEra Energy (NEE) over the past five years (see chart below) but has also tripled

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

I am an electronics engineer, not a CFA. The information and data presented in this article were obtained from company documents and/or sources believed to be reliable, but have not been independently verified. Therefore, the author cannot guarantee their accuracy. Please do your own research and contact a qualified investment advisor. I am not responsible for the investment decisions you make.

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.

With Q4 earnings now well and truly digested, investors are watching closely to see how Tesla Inc NASDAQ: TSLA shares behave through the first week of February.

VettaFi held its 2026 Winter Symposium last week, focusing on the year that was and the year ahead. The symposium included plenty of juicy data, including from firms like Fidelity Investments. Fidelity’s Head of ETF Strategy, Craig Ebeling, joined VettaFi Head of Research Todd Rosenbluth and Director of Research Cinthia Murphy to break down the firm’s ETF market data for 2025 and speak to his views on the year to come.

See more: The Fidelity Magellan Fund: From Fund Star to ETF Contender

Ebeling’s segment, “2025 ETF Flow Trends: Key Takeaways for the New Year Ahead,” explored flow trends by categories, fee levels, and active vs. passive splits. For example, Ebeling pointed to the continued growth of active as one notable area for market watchers to explore.

“When we look at the overall market in 2025, we saw roughly 36% of the overall fund flows going towards active in the overall market,” Ebeling said. “When we look at the intermediary space, it … was a little bit over 46% of the incoming flows were active. So you’re seeing advisors kind of leading that charge of adoption of active ETFs.”

Ebeling also emphasized the amount of buying that occurred last year despite notable volatility and the broadening of the market. That broadening benefited areas like large value, international developed, and small- and midcap stocks, he said.

Fidelity Investments ETF Leader Talks 2025 Data In fixed income, meanwhile, Ebeling pointed to advisors and the broader market moving to ultra short. Advisor and intermediary spaces, however, looked more toward core passive funds and core-plus active funds. It was derivative income that offered a bit of a twist, he noted.

“A little less conviction in derivative income, which was a little surprising given the kind of demand that we’ve seen in that space,” he said. “The intermediary, advisor space, used it a little less. They were doing more traditional fixed income to kind of get that yield exposure.”

Rosenbluth asked Ebeling to dig a little deeper into the passive space and the data therein. Ebeling explained that he likes to look at the areas where passive beats active or vice versa. Low-cost, tax-efficient, large-cap core beta remained tough to beat in passive, he said. To his surprise, however, foreign large blends leaned more into passive, while foreign considerable growth leaned more to active. 

“You definitely saw a shift out of passive in small-caps,” he said. “Small-cap, small-cap blend in general, was negative in fund flows in the passive space, but was actually $17 billion positive, in active.”

ETF Fees and Flows Murphy, meanwhile, asked Ebeling to share some data regarding flows and fees. Specifically, she noted, are investors being rewarded for the traditionally higher fees charged by active strategies? 

Ebeling pointed to the firm’s survey data among advisors, noting that while fees are essential to advisors, beating the index is a higher priority. 

“When we looked at overall active flows, and this was true in the overall and in the advisor space, the sweet spot was 20 to 40 basis points,” he said. 

Some 43% of overall flows went to ETFs charging fees in that range, he said, with 46% of advisor-driven flows directed there. The second-largest bucket for overall ETF flows went to ETFs charging 61 basis points (bps) or more, he said, to his surprise. 

“That seems expensive to me, right? Especially in the ETF world, that’s a high, high number,” Ebeling explained. 

ETF Options Ahead Intriguingly, however, he said that the 61-bps-plus bucket saw the lowest percentage of advisor-driven flows, suggesting greater reluctance among advisors toward those expensive ETFs than the overall flow data suggest. 

In terms of which types of ETFs dominated in each fee bucket, Ebeling spoke to the different varieties of active and passive ETFs. Among active ETFs in that popular 20-to-40 bps range, active fixed income and systematic active ETFs have seen flows, he said.

Fidelity Investments itself offers a variety of ETFs across active and passive approaches. The firm’s ETFs, such as the Fidelity Enhanced International ETF (FENI) and the Fidelity Yield Enhanced Equity ETF (FYEE), offer passive and active approaches to international equities and fixed income, respectively. For those looking to benefit from the firm’s research capabilities, the firm’s ETFs and other offerings may appeal. 

For more news, information, and strategy, visit the ETF Investing Content Hub.

Fidelity Investments® is an independent company unaffiliated with VettaFi LLC (“VettaFi”). These articles do not form any kind of legal partnership, agency affiliation, or similar relationship between VettaFi and Fidelity Investments, nor is such a relationship created or implied by the articles herein. VettaFi LLC is the author and owner of these articles.

Earn free CE credits and discover new strategies

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.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos is set to face questions from a Senate subcommittee about its planned purchase of Warner Bros.' streaming and studio businesses.

NEW YORK, Feb. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of  Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Vanda” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: VNDA).  Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Vanda and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. 

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On January 8, 2026, Vanda issued a press release “announc[ing] that it has received a decision letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) concluding that the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for HETLIOZ® (tasimelteon) for the treatment of jet lag disorder cannot be approved in its current form.”  The press release stated that “the FDA acknowledged positive efficacy from Vanda’s controlled clinical trials, however, the FDA concluded that these data do not provide substantial evidence of effectiveness for jet lag disorder, primarily on the grounds that controlled phase advance protocols (5-hour and 8-hour bedtime shifts) are not sufficiently analogous to actual jet travel, which according to the FDA involves additional factors such as reduced oxygen pressure, physical constraints, noise, and lighting changes.” 

On this news, Vanda’s stock price fell $1.20 per share, or 14.05%, to close at $7.34 per share on January 8, 2026.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:
Danielle Peyton
Pomerantz LLP
[email protected]
646-581-9980 ext. 7980

NEW YORK, Feb. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Apogee Enterprises, Inc. (“Apogee” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: APOG). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Apogee and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. 

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On January 7, 2025, Apogee reported its financial results for the third quarter of its 2026 fiscal year.  Among other items, Apogee reported $355.3 million in sales, missing the consensus estimate of $348.6 million.  Apogee’s Chief Executive Officer said that “higher aluminum, restructuring and health insurance costs” all weighed on the Company’s results. 

On this news, Apogee’s stock price fell $5.18 per share, or 13.89%, to close at $32.11 per share on January 7, 2026.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.   

CONTACT:
Danielle Peyton
Pomerantz LLP
[email protected]
646-581-9980 ext. 7980

Key Takeaways AMZN targets Q4 net sales of $206-$213B, implying 10-13% growth versus the prior-year quarter.Amazon Web Services is expected to post steady revenue growth as AI infrastructure investments ramp up.AMZN's Q4 results likely reflect Prime Big Deal Days, ad-tech launches & stronger third-party seller services. Amazon (AMZN - Free Report) is scheduled to report fourth-quarter 2025 results on Feb. 5.

For the fourth quarter, the company projects net sales between $206 billion and $213 billion, suggesting 10% to 13% growth compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, with this guidance anticipating a favorable impact of approximately 190 basis points from foreign exchange rates.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for net sales is pegged at $211.56 billion, indicating growth of 12.66% from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter earnings is pegged at $1.98 per share, which indicates growth of 6.45% from the year-ago quarter.

The company has been benefiting from its dominant position in the e-commerce and cloud markets. It is also riding on strengthening generative AI capabilities.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

AMZN’s Earnings Surprise HistoryAmazon has an impressive earnings surprise history. In the last reported quarter, the company delivered an earnings surprise of 23.42%. The company’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 22.47%.

Earnings Whispers for AMZNOur proven model does not predict an earnings beat for Amazon this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

AMZN has an Earnings ESP of -1.05% and carries a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Factors Shaping AMZN’s Q4 ResultsAs Amazon is set to report its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings, multiple catalysts positioned the company for solid performance across its diversified business segments, supported by strategic initiatives in cloud computing, advertising, and e-commerce that are expected to have driven solid performance.

AWS and AI Infrastructure MomentumAmazon Web Services (“AWS”) is likely to have maintained its reacceleration trajectory in the fourth quarter after achieving 20% year-over-year growth in the third quarter to $33 billion. The Zacks consensus estimate for fourth-quarter AWS revenues indicates 21.6% year-over-year growth to $35.02 billion in the to-be-reported quarter.

The annual AWS re:Invent conference, held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4, showcased significant innovations, including Graviton5 processors delivering 25% higher performance, Trainium3 UltraServers for AI model training, and Amazon Nova 2 foundation models. The introduction of Database Savings Plans, reducing costs by up to 35%, and AWS Transform capabilities for code modernization positioned the cloud segment favorably for enterprise adoption. This is expected to have strengthened AWS' competitive positioning in the rapidly expanding AI infrastructure market against its strong contenders like Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) , Alphabet (GOOGL - Free Report) and Oracle (ORCL - Free Report) .

Management's investment of approximately $125 billion in capital expenditures for 2025, with expectations to increase in 2026, underscored its commitment to AI infrastructure expansion.

E-commerce and Prime Membership StrengthPrime Big Deal Days on Oct. 7-8 provided a significant catalyst for the fourth quarter, expanding to 18 countries, including new markets in Colombia, Ireland, and Mexico. The exclusive member event kicked off the holiday shopping season ahead of Black Friday, driving traffic across categories including home goods, fashion, beauty, and technology.

Third-party seller services remain a significant growth driver with Zacks estimates pegged at $52.2 billion, indicating a 10.09% year-over-year increase. The company's focus on expanding selection with premium brands and enhancing delivery capabilities positioned the segment for continued growth in the fourth quarter.

Physical Stores and Grocery ExpansionAmazon's physical retail operations are expected to show healthy growth, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate projecting physical store sales of $5.87 billion, indicating a 5.3% year-over-year increase. Amazon's physical retail operations benefited from the completion of same-day perishable grocery delivery expansion to 2,300-plus cities and towns by year-end as planned. The introduction of Amazon Now ultra-fast deliveries in 30 minutes in select areas of Seattle and Philadelphia during the quarter enhanced the convenience proposition for household essentials and fresh groceries, strengthening competitive differentiation.

Online Stores PerformanceThe online stores segment is likely to have gained traction from AI-powered shopping features, including Rufus assistant usage by 250 million customers and the Help Me Decide feature leveraging browsing activity and preferences. The expansion of Multi-Channel Fulfillment to sellers using Walmart, Shopify, and SHEIN broadened the ecosystem reach. The extended holiday return policy implemented from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 balanced customer satisfaction with inventory management efficiency. Our consensus mark for revenues from online stores is pegged at $82.4 billion, indicating a 9.06% year-over-year increase.

Advertising InnovationThe unBoxed 2025 conference in Nashville on Nov. 11-12 introduced Campaign Manager, Ads Agent, and Creative Agent, advancing Amazon's advertising capabilities. Partnerships with Netflix, Spotify, and SiriusXM, announced in the third quarter, are likely to have contributed to fourth-quarter advertising performance. Amazon's ad-supported monthly reach exceeded 300 million consumers in the United States, providing significant scale for brand partners. Our consensus mark for revenues from advertising services is pegged at $21.2 billion, indicating a 22.6% year-over-year increase.

AMZN Price Performance & Stock ValuationShares of Amazon have gained 14.8% in the past six-month period compared with the broader Zacks  Retail-Wholesale sector and the S&P 500 index’s return of 9.1% and 13.1%, respectively.

AMZN’s 6-Month Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Now, let’s look at the value Amazon offers investors at current levels. AMZN is trading at a premium with a forward 12-month P/S of 3.23X compared with the Zacks Internet - Commerce industry’s 2.24X, reflecting a stretched valuation.

AMZN’s P/S F12M Ratio Depicts Stretched Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Investment ThesisAmazon represents a compelling buy ahead of fourth-quarter 2025 results despite premium valuation and competitive pressures. AWS accelerated to 20% growth with a $200 billion backlog, while AI investments totaling $125 billion position the segment for sustained leadership. The advertising platform's 300 million consumer reach and AI-powered tools strengthen monetization capabilities. E-commerce benefits from enhanced AI shopping experiences and grocery expansion, reaching 2,300 cities. Strong holiday performance following Prime Big Deal Days and comprehensive re:Invent innovations demonstrate Amazon's diversified growth drivers across cloud computing, advertising, and retail segments, which justify investment despite elevated multiples and intense competition from technology peers.

ConclusionAmazon's diversified business model, accelerating AWS growth, and strategic AI infrastructure investments position the company for robust fourth-quarter performance. The combination of strong revenue guidance, expanded advertising capabilities, and enhanced e-commerce experiences through AI-powered tools creates multiple growth catalysts. Despite premium valuation and competitive headwinds, Amazon's comprehensive ecosystem and innovation leadership make the stock an attractive buy ahead of earnings.

By

Kara Greenberg

Kara Greenberg is a senior news editor for Investopedia, where she does work writing, editing, and assigning daily markets and investing news. Prior to joining Investopedia, Kara was a researcher and editor at The Wire. Earlier in her career, she worked in financial compliance and due diligence at Loomis, Sayles & Company, and The Bank of New York Mellon.

Published February 03, 2026

12:53 PM EST

AMD is expected to report record fourth-quarter revenue, driven by data center sales growth. Here, CEO Lisa Su is seen speaking last month at the CES consumer electronics trade show in Las Vegas. Bridget Bennett / Bloomberg / Getty Images

Key Takeaways Advanced Micro Devices is scheduled to report its quarterly results after the closing bell Tuesday, with analysts expecting record revenues from the chipmaker.Options pricing suggests traders expect AMD's stock could move about 8% in either direction in the days after its results. Advanced Micro Devices is scheduled to report earnings after the closing bell Tuesday. Traders are anticipating a big move in the chipmaker's stock.

Options pricing suggests traders expect AMD (AMD) stock could move nearly 8% in either direction by the end of this week. A shift of that size from Monday's closing price of around $246 could push the shares back to October's record highs near $265—or drag them back down to about $228.

Why This Is Significant Tuesday's results could help inject some fresh enthusiasm back into shares of AMD, which took a hit in the last few months of 2025 amid worries about an AI bubble. They've rebounded to start the new year after a string of strong signals for AI hardware makers.

Analysts at Bank of America said last month that they expect AMD's results to top Street estimates on strength from its data center segment, its largest source of revenue, as Big Tech giants continue to spend heavily on AI infrastructure.

AMD is seen reporting adjusted earnings per share of $1.34 on a nearly 27% year-over-year jump in revenue to a record $9.69 billion in the fourth quarter, driven by growth in data center sales, according to estimates collected by Visible Alpha.

Wall Street analysts lean more bullish than bearish on AMD's stock. Of the 10 analysts with current ratings compiled by Visible Alpha, seven have issued "buy" recommendations for the stock, compared to three neutral ratings. Their mean price target around $276 would suggest roughly 12% upside from Monday's close.

AMD shares, which have more than doubled over the past 12 months, were down 2% in early-afternoon trading Tuesday.

Do you have a news tip for Investopedia reporters? Please email us at

[email protected]

Article Sources

Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.

AMD. “AMD to Report Fiscal Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results.”

Bank of America. “US Semiconductors: Core Wars: INTC/AMD Preview, ARM D/G to Neutral.”

Partner Links

Crypto’s Wild West used to have a cowboy problem. For much of the sector’s nascent history there were too many gunslingers and not enough sheriffs, with the digital asset space defined by its rule avoidance and a culture that prized speed over safety.

But after years of rug pulls, bankruptcies and busted idols, the cryptocurrency industry is learning that lawlessness is more a liability than it is a pre-requisite for innovation. What is happening now looks very different from the on-chain ecosystem of the 2010s, when bitcoin first launched. Since the start of 2026, a sequence of tightly scoped but consequential actions by U.S. regulators including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) have begun to normalize blockchain technology inside layers of the financial system.

These U.S. agencies are drawing a new map to show where digital assets can live inside existing market plumbing: how tokenized securities can settle through familiar clearing rails, how broker-dealers can custody crypto assets without breaking customer-protection rules and how banks themselves can hold, transfer and even issue blockchain-based instruments at scale.

See also: Crypto IPOs Are Getting Boring, and That’s the Point 

From Parallel Ledgers to Core Market Infrastructure In December 2025, the SEC issued a no-action letter permitting DTCC’s depository subsidiary to run a controlled, multi-year production program that tokenizes assets already custodied and settled through DTCC infrastructure. The scope is deliberately conservative: U.S. Treasuries, select large-cap equities, and index-tracking ETFs. But the implication is that tokenized representations of these instruments are being treated as legally equivalent to their traditional forms, with the same economic entitlements and settlement finality.

After all, DTCC is not a sandbox at the edge of finance; it is the backbone of U.S. post-trade processing. By authorizing tokenization within this environment, regulators are signaling that blockchain can function as an internal system upgrade rather than an external competitor.

Advertisement: Scroll to Continue

And firms are already taking the green light at face value. On Jan. 19, the New York Stock Exchange, part of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., announced it was developing a platform for the trading and on-chain settlement of tokenized securities, for which it will seek regulatory approvals.

Crypto-native firms are getting into the treasury and equity management game as well, with Ripple on Jan. 28 introducing a treasury platform built atop enterprise blockchain infrastructure.

At the same time, some of the world’s payment networks used their recent earnings investors calls to detail the numbers and strategies behind stablecoins, which are becoming among the most intriguing and even divisive tokenized on-chain financial instruments.

It’s not just payment networks, either. PYMNTS and Citigroup have launched of a weekly podcast series offering corporate leaders practical guidance on stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets. “From the Block: Straight Talk on Stablecoins and Digital Assets for Corporate Leaders,” which debuted Jan. 13, will be co-hosted by PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster and Citi Global Head of Digital Assets, Treasury and Trade Solutions Ryan Rugg.

See also: Conditional Charters Pull Crypto Closer to Core of US Banking 

Custody Stops Being the Weak Link If there was one issue that consistently stalled institutional crypto adoption, it was custody. The technology promised self-sovereignty, but institutions require segregation, control, auditability and regulatory certainty.

Recent OCC and SEC guidance has begun to dismantle that barrier. Rather than inventing a bespoke cryptocurrency custody regime, the SEC, across a series of letters and speeches, has proven to be set on clarifying how existing rules apply to digital assets, especially when those assets are securities. Broker-dealers can now custody crypto asset securities either through qualifying third-party control locations or, under defined conditions, directly on-chain while still being deemed in “physical possession” of the asset.

Still, the speeches and letters are just that, and none of the guidance has been codified into law by the Senate and House. As Dan Boyle, partner at Boies Schiller Flexner, told PYMNTS’ Karen Webster in an earlier interview, crypto is not getting a get-out-of-jail-free card.

In parallel, the OCC has conditionally approved several national trust banks designed specifically to offer digital-asset services under close supervisory oversight.

See also: Stablecoin Fragmentation Creates New Risks for Businesses 

Banks Re-Enter the Crypto Picture on Their Own Terms Perhaps the clearest signal that crypto’s cowboy era is ending comes from banks themselves. For years, the relationship between banks and digital assets oscillated between caution and outright hostility. Now it is settling into something more pragmatic.

The recent guidance from federal regulators opens the door to products that have long been discussed but rarely implemented at scale: deposit tokens that move across internal blockchains, regulated stablecoins backed by bank balance sheets and tokenized assets that settle with the same confidence as traditional cash and securities. None of this looks like decentralized finance in its original sense. But it looks very much like financial infrastructure modernization.

News broke at the end of last year (Dec. 15) that J.P. Morgan Chase is reportedly deepening its blockchain efforts with its first tokenized money market fund; while on Jan. 28 of this year, Fidelity Investments announced it will launch a stablecoin called the Fidelity Digital Dollar (FIDD).

The PYMNTS Intelligence and Citi report “Chain Reaction: Regulatory Clarity as the Catalyst for Blockchain Adoption” found that blockchain’s next leap will be shaped by regulation; that evolving guidance is beginning to create the foundations for safe, scalable blockchain adoption; and that implementation challenges continue to complicate progress.

Bitcoin extended its sharp weekly decline after more than $1.5 billion in leveraged long positions were liquidated, triggering a liquidity squeeze that pushed prices down over 13% and dragged institutional flows, market participation, and media attention lower across the crypto sector.

Summary

More than $1.5 billion in leveraged long positions were liquidated in late January, accelerating Bitcoin’s decline and deepening short-term market stress. Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded roughly $509 million in net outflows, signaling a temporary pullback by institutional investors amid risk-off conditions. Prolonged drawdowns tend to reduce public interest and media engagement, making visibility and disciplined communication harder for crypto projects during downturns. Bitcoin extended its sharp selloff this week, falling more than 13% over seven days as a wave of forced liquidations, ETF outflows, and declining leverage drained liquidity from crypto markets. The market is witnessing the most severe short-term drawdowns since late 2025.

Liquidations drive the selloff At the center of the decline was a cascade of long liquidations. Between January 29 and 31, more than $1.5 billion in leveraged long positions were wiped out, according to Coinglass data, marking the largest single-day liquidation event since November 2025. The forced selling amplified downside momentum as stop-losses were triggered and margin calls accelerated the drop.

Once key support levels break, leveraged positions are automatically closed, pushing prices lower regardless of broader market conviction. This dynamic helps explain the speed and depth of the decline, which outpaced typical spot-driven corrections.

Institutional flows turn negative Pressure on Bitcoin intensified as institutional capital retreated from regulated crypto exposure. Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded net outflows of approximately $509 million on January 31, signaling a shift toward risk reduction among asset managers and allocators.

The recent outflows suggest that institutional participants are rotating capital away from Bitcoin, at least temporarily, amid broader risk-off sentiment and deteriorating technical conditions.

Bear markets weigh on crypto visibility and media attention Beyond price action, prolonged drawdowns tend to reshape the broader crypto information landscape. During risk-off phases, declining prices are often accompanied by falling public interest, reduced search activity, and weaker traffic across crypto-focused media.

According to the latest Outset Data Pulse report on US crypto media traffic, Outset PR identified a direct correlation between Bitcoin price dynamics and readership trends across major crypto publications. As BTC enters sustained downturns, overall traffic consistently contracts, reflecting reduced retail engagement and lower speculative appetite.

This drop in attention creates a secondary challenge for the industry: visibility becomes harder to maintain precisely when clarity matters most.

Strategic communication as a defensive asset In this environment, communication strategy becomes less about amplification and more about discipline. With fewer active market participants and shrinking media bandwidth, messaging that lacks structure or continuity is more likely to be ignored.

Outset PR highlights that during bear-market conditions, projects that maintain consistent narrative frameworks and substance-driven content rather than relying on hype tend to preserve mindshare more effectively. 

As crypto markets continue to digest the recent deleveraging cycle, visibility risks are likely to persist alongside price volatility. For Web3 projects, the ability to sustain a clear narrative through downturns may prove as important as product execution itself.

BTC technical structure remains fragile From a technical perspective, Bitcoin sits below its 100-day moving average at 93,937, which can signal counter-trend moves rather than confirmed reversals. The Momentum indicator remains deeply negative at −12,152, and the MACD at −2,120 continues to signal sell conditions, suggesting that bearish pressure has not yet fully exhausted itself.

Oversold readings can precede short-term bounces, but without a decisive reclaim of key moving averages accompanied by rising volume and improving market breadth, upside moves are likely to be corrective rather than structural.

A market in reset mode The current environment reflects a broader reset mode. Markets tend to stabilize once forced selling subsides, but sustained recoveries typically emerge only after leverage rebuilds under more conservative positioning and spot demand returns.

For now, Bitcoin appears caught between the aftershocks of a leverage-driven unwind and the absence of new capital willing to step in aggressively. Until participation recovers, volatility may remain elevated and rallies vulnerable.

Here are the latest and most important news related to Pi Network's ecosystem.

Pi Network recently tumbled to a new all-time low, coinciding with the broader market decline.

In the meantime, the project team and community members have recently announced several key updates and warnings. In the following sections, we will focus on the most important ones.

Unblocking Millions of Users Pi Network has been criticized for several reasons over the past several months, and its complex and controversial know-your-customer (KYC) procedures are among them. Numerous users (known as Pioneers) have reported that they cannot complete the required verification process and migrate to the Mainnet.

Earlier this week, the Core Team revealed that nearly 2.5 million people in certain regions will be unblocked by a new technical update, assuming they have passed the Mainnet checklist and are active in mining.

“Over 700,000 additional accounts can also soon submit KYC applications! With these updates, more people are able to participate in the Mainnet ecosystem. Pi has reached 16 million Mainnet migrated Pioneers overall, distinguishing Pi as a massive identity-verified blockchain. Complete your KYC and Mainnet Checklist steps as needed to ensure your account is prepared for the next steps,” the announcement reads.

The team further explained that the unblocking occurs in batches because different Pioneer groups face various issues. Each group requires a specific technical solution, and once deployed, the affected users will be unblocked.

The Latest Scam Alert Recently, a community member using the X handle PiNetwork DEX warned Pioneers to remain vigilant against a possible fraudulent scheme. According to the alert, an impersonation scam targets Pi Network users, specifically those who are identity holders on the Mainnet checklist.

“The Pi Network core team will never email you regarding wallet migration, nor will they ask for your passphrase. Like, share, and warn more people,” the message reads.

Pi Price Outlook Pi Network’s native token has experienced a sharp decline over the past several months, and its condition has only worsened in the past few days. Recently, it plunged to a fresh all-time low of $0.15, whereas it currently trades at around $0.16, or a 7% drop on a weekly scale.

You may also like: Bitcoin (BTC) Plunges Before the FOMC Meeting, Pi Network (PI) Soars by 15%: Market Watch PI Price, Source: CoinGecko Considering the upcoming token unlocks, there may be an additional short-term decline. Data shows that more than 215 million PI will be freed up in the next 30 days, giving investors the opportunity to offload holdings they have been waiting to receive. The average daily unlock is almost 7.2 million tokens, while the record day is February 13, when 23 million coins will be released.

Naturally, this isn’t guaranteed, but the “bullish unlocks” meme exists for a reason, and that reason is that unlocks are almost never bullish.

PI Token Unlocks, Source: CoinGecko Tags: