Market Signal Briefing

London BTC Company Ltd (LSE:BTC, OTCQB:VINZF) announced it has signed a 30-day exclusive call option to acquire a 100% interest in the tenements containing the historic Chance gold mine, in Western Australia.

The company said the move forms “Stage One” of a hedging strategy aimed at reducing exposure to Bitcoin volatility, and, follows comments made in its interim results published in November.

The Chance Gold Mine is located about 4km south of the Copperhead Gold Mine near Bullfinch in the Western Australian Goldfields. The release cites historic production in the 1930s of ore grading 9.4 grams per tonne of gold. It also cites limited drilling by Troy Resources in the 1980s, including 2m grading 6.9 grams per tonne, with numerous drill holes reporting grades over 1 gram per tonne.

“We like Bitcoin and we like gold," said chair David Lenigas, adding: "linking the two we feel we could create a very exciting platform for growth and one that could see our Bitcoin operations grow faster.”

Under the transaction terms, London BTC paid A$5,000 for the call option over two granted tenements, P77/4569 and P77/4570. The option can be exercised within 30 days by paying a further A$5,000. The company said it will carry out due diligence during the option period to assess whether the project fits its objectives.

London BTC said it will undertake legal and geological due diligence on the ground during February and expects to report findings as results become available.

The company said it has a strong balance sheet, no external debt and 1,048 Bitcoin miners producing Bitcoin in North America, hosted at facilities in Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas in the US, and Labrador in Canada. It said revenues from mining and its balance sheet will be used to fund gold exploration with the intention that any realised increased value can be returned to its Bitcoin treasury and used to continue increasing its mining fleet.

It also said it is setting up a special purpose subsidiary in the US to explore the possibility of staking areas over prospective gold ground in known gold provinces. The company said potential US gold sites will also be assessed for suitability to host new stand-alone data centres to house Bitcoin mining operations.

Lenigas commented: "I believe that Gold is the hottest financial sector globally now, and our view is that holding exciting gold assets and, indeed, potentially holding physical gold in treasury, is a sound hedging strategy in these volatile times. I'm also very excited about the possibility of expanding this hedge into the US gold areas we are currently assessing.

"Great gold tenements can be run up the value curve and either developed or sold, and these funds could be used to make us bigger in Bitcoin much quicker."

The €1 billion share buyback reflects positive brand momentum and cash-flow generation, robust fundamentals and management confidence, the company said.

Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) Analyst/Investor Day Transcript

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

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

Semiconductors have been one of the market's best-performing sectors. Thanks to these catalysts, the good times may not be over yet.

The semiconductor sector typically moves in cycles. It can experience long periods of strong growth, but then be followed by a slowdown or contraction. When the structural environment changes, the industry's leaders can see big returns for years.

That's what we've seen over the past couple of years in the semiconductor space. And it could be a nice setup for the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX +0.19%) in 2026.

Image source: Getty Images.

Prediction: SOXX will outperform the S&P 500 & Nasdaq 100 in 2026 as AI infrastructure spending accelerates Over the past few years, semiconductor chips have been the core component of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution.

In 2024 and 2025, the focus was building the infrastructure necessary to support high growth and demand. In 2026, the story likely broadens into a theme of more full-scale adoption. That could benefit the "next-in-line" companies involved in cloud computing, autonomous systems, and data centers.

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All of these trends rely on semiconductors, and the buildout to support AI is likely to last for years. That means billions of dollars of investment will continue to flow into this space. That gives the sector a very good chance for success where the biggest winners may go beyond just Nvidia (NVDA +0.63%) and Broadcom (AVGO 0.75%).

And so far they have. Applied Materials (AMAT +1.36%), Micron Technology (MU +0.12%), and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD 0.22%) -- all top-five holdings of the iShares Semiconductor ETF -- have all delivered 18%+ gains this year (as of Jan. 26, 2026) to help lift performance.

NVDA Total Return Price data by YCharts

That kind of breadth will be the key to sustained outperformance. And it should lead to market-beating returns again in 2026.

David Dierking has positions in iShares Trust-iShares Semiconductor ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Applied Materials, Micron Technology, Nvidia, and iShares Trust-iShares Semiconductor ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The technology giant Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) suffered one of its worst sessions of the 2020s, seeing its stock crash nearly 10% in 24 hours and its market capitalization collapse by almost $360 billion.

Specifically, after mostly maintaining their value since 2026 started and even enjoying a notable rally from $444 on January 21 to almost $482 on January 28, MSFT shares fell off a cliff starting in the extended session on Wednesday afternoon.

By press time on Friday, January 30, Microsoft stock is trading at $435.55 following a calamitous 10% drop. Simultaneously, the company’s market capitalization crashed from about $3.58 trillion to approximately $3.22 trillion.

Microsoft stock price one-week chart. Source: Finbold Microsoft’s downfall is among the biggest in the last 12 months and among the largest recorded in the stock market.

Microsoft stock collapsed despite strong earnings At face value, MSFT stock’s January 29 collapse is counterintuitive since it came shortly after the blue-chip company published a strong earnings report for its second quarter (Q2) of 2026.

Indeed, Microsoft beat both the earnings per share (EPS) – with $4.14 adjusted instead of $3.97 expected – and revenue – at $81.27 billion and not $80.27 billion – forecasts. 

Azure and its kindred cloud services grew 39%, which, while not a clear beat of forecasts, still mostly fell in line with expectations.

Why Microsoft earnings underwhelmed MSFT stock investors Despite the apparently strong results, several key data points showcased both a degree of contraction and heightened risks that many investors evidently found uncomfortable.

To begin with, Microsoft’s implied fiscal third-quarter operating margin came in at 45.1%, below the 45.5% consensus, and the technology giant’s gross margin diminished to a three-year low of 68%.

Though a 9.5% drop in gaming revenue might have unnerved some traders, the bigger news was, arguably, the revelation that as much as 45% of Microsoft’s backlog is directly linked to OpenAI.

Is this the key danger for Microsoft stock? For months, OpenAI has been at the epicenter of the discussion about a supposed artificial intelligence (AI) bubble. 

Along with being the most recognizable name in the sector, many observers have noted the gap between the firm’s burning of billions more than it earns each year and the vast investment commitments it has made.

Sam Altman’s previous comments implying a government bailout would be in order and his seemingly reneging on his previous antagonistic comments about commercials via the introduction of advertisements into ChatGPT have done much to stoke the flames.

Thus, it isn’t particularly odd that many investors decided to offload their MSFT shares upon learning that nearly half of Microsoft’s backlog can be made or broken by OpenAI.

The rise of ‘Microslop’ Elsewhere, it is notable that, on the more grassroots side of the internet, Microsoft has – like many of its big tech peers – been burning much of the goodwill it had left. 

The company has been pushing its Copilot AI aggressively and integrating it with much of its software in ways that make disabling or removing the service difficult, if not impossible.

The drive has gone so far that many newer laptops built with the assumption of running on Windows 11 have a dedicated Copilot button on their keyboards. While Microsoft reported impressive AI usage and adoption figures, their veracity can be doubted since the technology giant has something of a captive audience.

While hardly scientific, some of the mood on the main street regarding Microsoft can be gleaned from the fact that the firm has a new nickname – ‘Microslop’ – which has become so widespread, along with ‘slop’ becoming Webster’s word of 2025, that CEO Satya Nadella felt the need to push back against the notion.

Featured image via Shutterstock

Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (DSNKY) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Enea AB (publ) (ENEKF) Q4 2025 Earnings Call January 30, 2026 2:30 AM EST

Company Participants

Teemu Salmi - President & CEO
Ulf Stigberg - Chief Financial Officer

Presentation

Operator

Welcome to the Enea Q4 presentation for 2025.

[Operator Instructions] Now I will hand the conference over to the CEO, Teemu Salmi; and CFO, Ulf Stigberg. Please go ahead.

Teemu Salmi
President & CEO

Thank you, and good morning to everyone. This is Teemu Salmi, CEO of Enea speaking here today to take us through the Q4 results in the next coming 30 to 45 minutes. Our agenda will be very much similar to the previous reports that we have made. We will have a short introduction of some highlights in quarter 4, and then we will deep dive deeper into our financial results, and we will also end up with a way forward and outlook for the year and the years to come.

So let's get going with a bit of market and business development highlights from the quarter. Of course, I think we all see what's happening on the geopolitical scene and that the tensions and the development there are driving the demand for secure and controlled national communication solutions. And we see also a more nationalistic approach in sovereignty and when it comes to handling data, which is actually playing us well into our hands in Enea.

Our solutions is definitely supporting nations, states and other governmental institutes as well as telco operators to up their security posture. We have had a tough year in 2025 with the FX. Swedish krona has strengthened almost 20% towards the U.S. dollar in the last 12 months. And it's 15 years since that happened last time in 2010. So it's nothing that happens every day.

Obviously, having a majority of our

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

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

Amsterdam, 30 January 2026

EXOR PUBLISHES ITS 2026 CORPORATE CALENDAR

Exor N.V. announced today the following corporate calendar for 2026:

23 March 2026: Publication of the financial statements for the full year 202524 March 2026: Investor & Analyst Call20 May 2026: Annual General Meeting of Shareholders22 September 2026: Publication of the interim financial statements for the half year 2026 The 2026 corporate calendar will be available on Exor’s website under the Corporate Calendar section.

Any changes will be disclosed to the market on a timely basis.

Exor Press Release - 2026 Corporate Calendar

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.

James Ding Jan 30, 2026 08:59

XRP faces near-term consolidation at $1.75 with oversold RSI at 33.20, but analysts project recovery to $2.60-$4.00 range by year-end 2026 amid technical reset.

XRP Price Prediction Summary • Short-term target (1 week): $1.61-$1.85 consolidation range • Medium-term forecast (1 month): $1.88-$2.18 recovery zone
• Bullish breakout level: $1.95 (strong resistance) • Critical support: $1.61 (key downside protection)

What Crypto Analysts Are Saying About Ripple Recent analyst sentiment on XRP remains constructively bullish despite current price weakness. Dominic Basulto projects an ambitious target, stating "I'm predicting that XRP will hit a price of $4 this year," suggesting significant upside potential from current levels.

More conservative forecasts come from Timothy Morano, who recently outlined "XRP Price Prediction: Targets $2.60 by Year-End 2026 Despite Near-Term Consolidation." This aligns with the current technical setup showing consolidation before potential recovery.

DigitalCoinPrice provides the most immediate outlook, forecasting "XRP is forecasted to drop by -0.74% and reach $1.88 by February 25, 2026," indicating modest near-term pressure before stabilization above current levels.

XRP Technical Analysis Breakdown XRP's current technical structure reveals a cryptocurrency in oversold territory with mixed signals for direction. Trading at $1.75, Ripple sits precariously near its Bollinger Band lower boundary at $1.75, with a %B position of -0.0035 indicating extreme oversold conditions.

The RSI reading of 33.20 confirms oversold momentum, though it hasn't reached extreme oversold levels below 30. This suggests limited downside risk while positioning for potential bounce. The MACD histogram at 0.0000 shows bearish momentum has stalled, though hasn't yet turned bullish.

Moving average structure reveals the challenge ahead for any XRP price prediction. With price trading below all major moving averages (SMA 7: $1.86, SMA 20: $1.97, SMA 50: $1.97), Ripple faces significant overhead resistance. The 200-day SMA at $2.53 represents the ultimate reclaim target for sustained bullish momentum.

Key support emerges at $1.68 (immediate) and $1.61 (strong support), while resistance clusters around $1.85 (immediate) and $1.95 (strong resistance). The daily ATR of $0.09 suggests relatively contained volatility, supporting range-bound trading scenarios.

Ripple Price Targets: Bull vs Bear Case Bullish Scenario A bullish XRP price prediction hinges on reclaiming the $1.85 immediate resistance level, which would trigger technical momentum toward $1.95. Breaking this strong resistance could unleash a move toward the Bollinger Band middle at $1.97, aligning with the SMA 20/50 cluster.

Extended bullish targets align with analyst forecasts, particularly the $2.60 year-end projection. This would require breaking above all major moving averages and establishing new uptrend structure. The ultimate $4.00 target would represent a 128% gain from current levels, requiring significant fundamental catalysts beyond technical factors.

Bearish Scenario Downside risks for this Ripple forecast center on the $1.68 immediate support breakdown. Failure here would target the $1.61 strong support level, representing roughly 8% downside from current prices.

A break below $1.61 could trigger more significant selling toward the psychological $1.50 level, though current oversold conditions suggest limited probability for extended decline. The Stochastic readings (%K: 10.28, %D: 8.22) indicate oversold momentum is nearing exhaustion.

Should You Buy XRP? Entry Strategy Current technical conditions present a favorable risk-reward setup for patient investors. The oversold RSI and proximity to Bollinger Band support suggest limited downside while positioning for potential recovery toward analyst targets.

Conservative entry strategy involves waiting for RSI to climb above 35-40, confirming momentum shift. Aggressive traders might consider current levels with tight stops below $1.68.

Risk management suggests position sizing around the $1.61 support level, with initial targets at $1.85-$1.95 resistance cluster. Stop-loss placement below $1.61 limits downside to approximately 8% while maintaining upside potential toward the $2.60 year-end forecast.

Conclusion This XRP price prediction suggests a bottoming process near current levels, with technical oversold conditions supporting analyst forecasts for recovery. While near-term consolidation appears likely between $1.61-$1.85, the medium-term Ripple forecast remains constructive toward $2.60 year-end targets.

The confluence of oversold technical indicators and analyst optimism creates a compelling setup, though traders should remain cautious of broader crypto market dynamics that could impact individual token performance.

Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency price predictions involve significant risk and uncertainty. Past performance doesn't guarantee future results. Always conduct your own research and consider your risk tolerance before investing.

Image source: Shutterstock

xrp price analysis xrp price prediction

Bitcoin plummeted to a nine-month low on Friday as a global tech-driven selloff eroded investor appetite for risk. The downturn rippled through multiple sectors, dragging down cryptocurrencies, equities, and precious metals in a broad market retreat.

Summary

Bitcoin price fell to a nine-month low on Friday, mirroring weakness in tech stocks. Policy shifts in the U.S. and fears of a government shutdown have weighed on its price. $745 million worth of bullish positions were liquidated from BTC futures over the past 24 hours. According to data from crypto.news, Bitcoin (BTC) price fell by nearly 8% to $81,314 on Friday morning Asian time, its lowest level since April 12.

Following the bellwether, Ethereum (ETH) price fell over 7% to a 10-week low of around $2,700 on the day. Other large-cap altcoins, such as BNB (BNB), XRP (XRP), Solana (SOL), and Cardano (ADA), were also in the red, posting losses ranging between 5-7%. 

Likewise, the total crypto market cap had dropped nearly 6% over the past day at $2.9 trillion, marking the steepest single-day declines since the Oct. 10 liquidation event that was triggered by an escalation of the trade war between the U.S. and China, which led to around $500 billion wiped out on the day.

The Crypto Fear and Greed index reading fell by 10 points to 16 today, its lowest since Dec. 20.

Bitcoin price mirrored weakness in tech stocks Bitcoin’s weakness today follows a significant decline in U.S. equities, where tech stocks led losses following weaker earnings. Notably, Microsoft shares slid more than 12%, marking its worst single-day performance since March 2020 and weighing heavily on indices.

Fears of another US government shutdown spook investors Traders have also likely entered a wait-and-watch mode, cutting their exposure to risk assets as they brace for another potential U.S. government shutdown. The risks of such a disruptive move arise from the fact that U.S. lawmakers failed to pass a spending package on Thursday. Should the legislation fail to pass before the weekend, there is a high chance of another government shutdown.

Traders are likely recalling how a similar 43-day shutdown that began in October led to a nearly 15% drop in Bitcoin price within that period. Taking into account the Bitcoin price when it began the latest drop, it could put Bitcoin down to around $70K.

Policy shifts in Washington Policy changes in the U.S. government also played a key role in Bitcoin’s correction today. Notably, President Trump has announced that he would repeal the next Fed Chair nominee today, which the market expects to be Kevin Warsh, a long-term critic of current monetary policy. 

The U.S. President’s national emergency executive order on Thursday targeting nations supplying oil to Cuba also added to the headwinds. Renewed tensions in the Middle East further added to the tensions.

Crypto liquidations top $1.6 billion Data from CoinGlass shows that over the past 24 hours, $1.68 billion worth of leveraged crypto positions were liquidated, with $1.56 billion coming from long positions alone. Bitcoin accounted for $745 million of the bullish bets being liquidated.

Largest liquidation events such as these tend to exacerbate a negative outlook for price and impact investor sentiment, who often turn away from volatile assets, fearing further downturn.

At the same time, U.S.-listed spot exchange-traded funds have posted $817.8 million in net outflows yesterday, extending the outflow streak to three consecutive days and removing a key source of demand that supported prices through late 2025.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin managed to retrace from some of its losses and settled at $82,808.

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.

Bitcoin plunged below $82,000 on Jan. 30, 2026, marking its weakest level since November 2025, as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East triggered a sharp sell-off. Bitcoin Hits Two-Month Low Amid Middle East Tensions Bitcoin tumbled below the $82,000 mark early Friday, Jan.

Binance Commits $1 Billion SAFU Fund to Bitcoin: But What Does It Really Mean for Price?Binance plans $1 billion Bitcoin purchases over 30 days using its SAFU user-protection fund.The structure implies steady BTC buying and automatic dip-buying below $800 million valuation.Move signals confidence, but SAFU remains centralized and not a corporate Bitcoin treasury.Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange on trading volume metrics, announced plans to convert the entire $1 billion reserve of its Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU) from stablecoins into Bitcoin over the next 30 days.

The move comes as markets reel from a $1.7 billion crypto liquidation wave and from up to $9 trillion in whiplash across assets.

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Binance To Convert $1 Billion SAFU Fund to Bitcoin: All You Need to KnowThe SAFU fund, established in 2018 and funded by Binance’s trading fee revenue, serves as a financial backstop to protect users in the event of platform-related incidents.

Under the new plan, Binance will gradually purchase Bitcoin to avoid sudden market disruption, a bold but centralized move by a private exchange to backstop user funds with BTC.

“If Bitcoin price volatility causes the fund’s market value to fall below $800 million, Binance will add more BTC to restore the fund to its $1 billion target,” the exchange stated, citing a rebalancing safeguard.

In an open letter to the community, Binance framed the move as part of a broader commitment to transparency, governance, and long-term industry-building.

“BTC serves as the core asset in the crypto ecosystem and represents long-term value,” the exchange said, adding that it is willing to “share uncertainty with the industry” during periods of heightened market volatility.

The announcement comes as Bitcoin trades below recent highs amid a broader market correction. While prices have not surged immediately on the news, sentiment suggests that the SAFU conversion structure could create steady buying pressure.

Bitcoin (BTC) Price Performance. Source: BeInCryptoSponsored

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Converting $1 billion over 30 days implies roughly $33 million in daily Bitcoin purchases, a dynamic that could help stabilize prices during drawdowns.

With this $800 million rebalance threshold, Binance is effectively committing to buy the dip if the Bitcoin price falls sharply.

“It should be noted that the daily funding source for the scale of this fund comes from Binance’s trading fee revenue, so from now on, Binance will essentially become a company that dollar-cost averages into Bitcoin,” commented analyst AB Kuai Dong.         

Binance Highlights 2025 Achievements in User Protection, Compliance, and Ecosystem GrowthBeyond the headline-grabbing Bitcoin allocation, Binance paired the announcement with a detailed account of its 2025 operational performance, emphasizing user protection and regulatory compliance.

Reportedly, the exchange assisted users in recovering $48 million across 38,648 incorrect deposit cases last year. This, they say, brought cumulative recoveries since launch to more than $1.09 billion.

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It also reported helping 5.4 million users identify potential risks, preventing an estimated $6.69 billion in scam-related losses.

Binance added that it collaborated with global law enforcement agencies throughout 2025, helping to recover $131 million in illicit funds.

On the transparency front, its latest proof-of-reserves (PoR) shows approximately $162.8 billion in fully backed user assets across 45 cryptos.

The exchange also highlighted ecosystem growth, noting that its 2025 spot listings spanned projects across 21 public blockchains. 13 of those blockchains were newly launched, covering use cases ranging from payments and gaming to social platforms.

Whether the SAFU conversion becomes a catalyst for the next major Bitcoin bull run remains uncertain.

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Does this Make Binance A Bitcoin Treasury Company?While the move presents Binance’s move in the light of corporate Bitcoin accumulation that previously boosted market confidence, it is worth noting that Binance is not a public company.

Digital asset treasuries (DATs) are almost always discussed in the context of publicly listed entities that give stock market investors crypto exposure without direct holding. Binance has no publicly traded shares, so it cannot function as a DAT in that sense.

Also, SAFU is an emergency or user protection fund, not a corporate treasury strategy for profit or shareholder value. This move for Binance is just an asset-allocation shift within its existing reserves, specifically the SAFU wallet.

“As of January 2026, the SAFU fund wallet comprises 1 billion USDC,” Binance articulated.

It is centralized, controlled by Binance’s team, and not autonomous or decentralized, and it is not designed as a vehicle for external investors.

At a time of rising scrutiny and market stress, Binance is doubling down on Bitcoin, betting that its long-term value proposition will ultimately outweigh short-term volatility.

Disclaimer

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

Ripple’s David Schwartz used expected value logic to push back on viral claims that XRP could soon hit $50 or $100.

On January 30, Ripple’s CTO Emeritus, David Schwartz, directly addressed rampant community speculation about XRP’s price potential.

He applied a fundamental financial logic to argue that the token’s current market value contradicts the wildly optimistic predictions shared online.

His comments highlight a persistent divide between aspirational community narratives and the sober probabilities reflected in trading activity.

A Lesson in Expected Value The discussion began with a user pleading for Schwartz to tell supporters that XRP would not reach $50 or $100. Schwartz declined to make an absolute prediction, recalling he once thought XRP hitting $0.25 was unlikely. However, he offered a clear framework for evaluating such claims.

He said that if a meaningful share of rational investors truly believed XRP had a 10% chance of hitting $100 in the near future, selling at current levels would make little sense.

“If many rational people believed that there was a 10% chance that XRP hit $100 within a few years, they definitely wouldn’t sell very much today at much less than $10,” Schwartz wrote on X.

According to him, those investors would buy aggressively, quickly exhausting supply at lower prices. But the fact that XRP continues to trade far below that level suggests that very few market participants hold that belief with enough confidence to commit capital.

Schwartz added that anyone claiming otherwise “is not telling the truth,” framing the issue as a gap between online claims and actual behavior. He encouraged readers to apply the same math themselves across different probabilities and time frames.

You may also like: XRP Defies Price Dip With 42 New Millionaire Wallets in 2026 Ripple (XRP) and Cardano (ADA) Show Deeper Undervaluation Than Bitcoin (BTC) Another XRP ETF Streak Ended This Week as Ripple’s Price Slumps Below $2 This perspective was echoed by other community figures, including XrpArthur, a proponent of the Ripple token. They wrote that people convinced of a $100 XRP “clearly don’t have enough money (or real conviction) to accumulate heavily,” warning that exaggerated targets have damaged community psychology.

Market Reality Versus Long-Term Narratives Currently, XRP is trading near $1.75, reflecting a drop of over 8% in the past week and about 44% over the last year. This places it in what some analysts call one of its longest consolidation phases, lasting approximately 434 days.

The technical landscape remains challenging, with XRP trading about 25% below its 200-day moving average, and short-term momentum indicators suggesting continued consolidation. However, this price action exists alongside some positive developments, including U.S. spot XRP ETFs, which saw nearly $92 million in net inflows in January, according to SoSoValue data.

At the same time, Santiment reported that 42 new wallets holding at least one million XRP have appeared since the start of 2026, suggesting quiet accumulation by large holders despite weak short-term trends.

Meanwhile, firms like 21Shares have published measured 2026 outlooks, with a base-case price target near $2.45, contingent on factors like sustained ETF inflows and adoption of Ripple’s stablecoin. This analysis, combined with Schwartz’s expected value argument, presents a more grounded counterpoint to the extreme price forecasts that frequently circulate within parts of the XRP community.

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As investors are taking a cautious stance ahead of US President Donald Trump's scheduled executive order today, Bitcoin has slipped to a two-month low. On Thursday, White announced the Trump executive order and a subsequent policy meeting scheduled for Friday.

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Amin Ayan

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Amin Ayan is a crypto journalist with over four years of experience in the industry. He has contributed to leading publications such as Cryptonews, Investing.com, 99Bitcoins, and 24/7 Wall St. He has...

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Arthur Hayes says Bitcoin’s recent pullback is less about crypto-specific weakness and more about a sharp contraction in dollar liquidity rippling through global markets.

Key Takeaways:

Arthur Hayes links Bitcoin’s pullback to a $300B contraction in U.S. dollar liquidity rather than crypto-specific factors. The USDLIQ index has fallen nearly 7% in six months, reflecting tighter financial conditions. Hayes says government cash buildup and reduced liquidity are pressuring Bitcoin and other risk assets. In a post on X, the former BitMEX chief executive pointed to a roughly $300 billion drop in U.S. dollar liquidity over the past several weeks, driven largely by a $200 billion increase in the Treasury General Account (TGA).

Hayes suggested the U.S. government may be rebuilding cash buffers to fund spending in case of a potential shutdown, effectively pulling liquidity out of the financial system.

Dollar Liquidity Index Falls 7%, Weighing on BitcoinThe contraction is visible in the USDLIQ index, which tracks broad dollar liquidity conditions.

The index has fallen nearly 7% over the past six months, sliding from highs near 11.8 million in August to around 10.88 million at the end of January, according to market data shown in Hayes’ post.

Bitcoin’s price weakness over the same period, Hayes argued, should not come as a surprise.

“$BTC falling not a surprise given the fall in $ liquidity,” Hayes wrote, linking the move directly to macro forces rather than sentiment shifts within the crypto market itself.

Roughly $300bn fall in $ liq over past few weeks driven mostly by $200bn rise in TGA, gov could be raising cash balances to fund spending in case of shutdown. $BTC falling not a surprise given the fall in $ liquidity. pic.twitter.com/ctPjWd8188

— Arthur Hayes (@CryptoHayes) January 30, 2026 Liquidity conditions have long been a key driver for Bitcoin and other risk assets, with periods of expanding dollar supply often coinciding with strong rallies.

Conversely, when cash is absorbed by government accounts or tighter financial conditions, speculative assets tend to struggle as leverage unwinds and risk appetite fades.

Hayes’ comments come as Bitcoin has failed to regain momentum after recent pullbacks, even as some investors look for catalysts such as interest rate cuts or renewed inflows into spot ETFs.

Instead, the focus is shifting toward macro plumbing, including Treasury cash management and broader dollar availability, as a near-term headwind.

Bitcoin Slides as Fed Caution, Geopolitics Sap Risk AppetiteBitcoin has fallen back below $89,000 after a short-lived rebound, pressured by tighter financial conditions and rising geopolitical stress that have weighed on risk assets.

According to XS.com analyst Samer Hasn, a Federal Reserve stance that remains neutral to hawkish, combined with tensions in the Middle East, has reduced demand for speculative investments across crypto markets.

Market data points to weakening conviction among traders. CoinGlass figures show crypto futures open interest is down 42% from record highs, with attempted breakouts quickly reversed by sharp sell-offs.

At the same time, capital has rotated toward traditional havens such as gold and silver, leaving digital assets struggling to attract fresh inflows as volatility persists.

With Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaling little urgency to cut rates and geopolitical risks pushing investors toward tangible assets, analysts say Bitcoin remains a higher-risk trade until either policy eases or global tensions cool.

XRP’s $200 Potential? Understanding the Channel Map According to EGRAG CRYPTORenowned market analyst EGRAG CRYPTO suggests that XRP’s price may be on a far more structured, and potentially explosive, path than widely anticipated, with monthly channel projections indicating a long-term target near $200.

Central to this projection is the concept of multi-channel diagonal support and resistance, akin to a logarithmic regression channel. Unlike random market fluctuations, these channels provide a clear visual framework for price behavior. 

Historical data shows striking symmetry: in 2017, XRP touched the channel’s upper boundary and surged 677%, highlighting the potential for major macro moves. 

Current cycle levels mirror this geometric structure, suggesting history could repeat. Supporting this, XRP’s price action hints at potential bottoming, with the Fear & Greed Index rising to 29.

EGRAG CRYPTO outlines key levels derived from this channel structure:

High-conviction structural level: XRP touching the current upper channel points to $4.5, with a probability of 80–90%. This represents a short-to-medium-term target where buyers may exert strong influence.

Expansion-dependent level: The next upper channel could see XRP reaching $10, with a probability range of 60–75%. This level accounts for potential growth as the channel expands and momentum builds.

Cycle peak scenario: Historical extensions suggest a $27 target, with a 50–55% probability, reflecting a potential peak for the ongoing market cycle.

Black swan tail-up scenario: Following a full macro extension similar to the 2017 fractal, XRP could theoretically reach $200, albeit with a lower probability of 20–35%. This represents a rare, extreme scenario driven by extraordinary market dynamics.

Therefore, EGRAG CRYPTO stresses that this analysis is rooted in geometry, symmetry, and structural patterns, not speculation or wishful thinking. While channels don’t pinpoint exact prices, they highlight high-probability zones based on XRP’s historical behavior. 

Coupled with XRP’s gold-like traits, this may drive growing demand as a preferred risk asset.

According to CoinCodex, XRP is currently trading at $1.76, well below key potential targets. This gap highlights the power of channel-based analysis, which frames risk, reward, and probability in a clear, visual structure. 

Source: CoinCodexWhat is the key lesson? Well, structure guides decisions, not emotions because those who understand the channel geometry can position themselves ahead of major market moves.

ConclusionEGRAG CRYPTO’s multi-channel diagonal support and resistance analysis highlights XRP’s structured market patterns and historical symmetry, offering a data-driven lens on price probabilities. 

While a $200 surge remains a long shot, realistic targets such as $4.5, $10, and $27 emerge as key levels for traders. This approach emphasizes strategic positioning over hype, helping investors identify opportunities, manage risk, and navigate XRP’s evolving trajectory with clarity.

XRP briefly showed at $126 on CNBC due to a ticker error pasting Solana’s price, reviving XRP “ghost print” lore despite being only a display glitch.

Summary

CNBC’s “Crypto World” briefly flashed XRP at $126.01, a 6,532% premium to its real price near $1.90.​ Producers later confirmed XRP’s quote mistakenly reused Solana’s spot price during the segment.​ The glitch adds to XRP’s history of “ghost prints” and comes as spot XRP ETFs absorb supply and pass $1b in assets. An on‑air pricing glitch briefly turned XRP into a three‑digit asset this week, after CNBC’s “Crypto World” show flashed the token at $126.01, implying a 6,532% premium to reality and instantly lighting up trader chatrooms.​

What Happened On Air During the Jan. 28 segment on the Senate Agriculture Committee’s crypto market structure hearing, the show’s ticker correctly showed Bitcoin changing hands at $89,532, down 0.39% on the week, and Ethereum at $2,996, nursing a 0.77% weekly pullback.

​But when the camera cut to XRP, the on‑screen graphic suddenly listed “$126.01, -3.8% (7D),” a level that, as the article notes, “represented a 6,532% increase from XRP’s actual price of $1.90 at the time.”​

That visual misprint fed straight into a long‑running subculture of XRP holders who insist such “glitches” hint at a hidden fair value once full utility is priced in, even though this episode, as TheCryptoBasic stresses, “was merely just a display issue on the part of CNBC.”

Producers later confirmed the show had effectively pasted Solana’s then‑spot value—around $126—into the XRP slot. “On Jan. 28, the show mispriced XRP by using Solana’s value in its place,” the report explains.​

This parabolic move comes as digital assets continue to trade as the purest expression of macro risk appetite. Bitcoin (BTC) is hovering around $82,792, with a 24‑hour range roughly between $81,000 and $88,029, on about $79.3B in dollar volumes. Ethereum (ETH) changes hands close to $2,725, with around $43.0B in 24‑hour turnover. XRP (XRP) trades near $1.76, down about 6.3% over the last day, with roughly $5.4B in spot volume.

A History Of XRP “Ghost Prints” The CNBC mispricing drops neatly into a long catalogue of XRP price anomalies. In April 2023, Bitrue’s futures market briefly printed $0.0001 on XRP, liquidating long positions before the order book snapped back.​
November 2025 saw Kraken wick to $0.00272 during a low‑liquidity window, even as the broader market still valued XRP around $2.18.​

Upside spikes have been even more surreal. TradingView once showed XRP “near $9,864” in May 2020 while the token actually traded close to $0.21.

​Subsequent data feed failures pushed it to $161 million on CoinMarketCap and Coinbase in December 2021, $50 on Gemini in August 2023, $34,603 on CoinMarketCap that October, $22.50 on Coinbase in August 2024, and “more than $21,000 during a live TV broadcast” in March 2025.​

For derivatives desks, each ghost print is noise—but it rhymes with the speculative fervor now building around XRP spot ETFs, after analysts warned ETF demand could absorb around 1% of circulating supply, building on December’s milestone, when XRP ETF assets first surpassed $1b.

Key NotesMSTR stock continues to slide despite Michael Saylor announcing fresh Bitcoin purchases.Strategy’s unrealized gains on its Bitcoin holdings have fallen below 10%, raising fresh concerns.Bitcoin’s bear-flag breakdown remains in play after losing the $85,000 level, signaling potential further downside. Michael Saylor’s Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) has been struggling on Wall Street, hitting a fresh 52-week low on Jan. 29.

During the latest trading session, MSTR shares plunged more than 9.5%, falling to around $143.

The sharp decline came as Bitcoin BTC $82 454 24h volatility: 6.3% Market cap: $1.65 T Vol. 24h: $89.34 B dropped another 7%, sliding to roughly $82,000 amid a broader market correction.

MSTR Stock Plummets Amid Bitcoin Weakness as Saylor Bets Big MSTR shares showed no signs of bottoming out, plunging another 9.5% to around $143.

On a one-year basis, the stock is now down roughly 57%, pushing investor sentiment to the edge

This comes amid Bitcoin’s notable underperformance over the same period. Meanwhile, Michael Saylor continues to make bold bets with fresh Bitcoin purchases.

Bitcoin critic Peter Schiff noted that MSTR shares are down nearly 70% from their peak.

He added that Strategy co-founder and executive chairman Michael Saylor has spent roughly $54 billion over the past five years to accumulate more than 712,000 Bitcoin at an average price slightly above $76,000.

$MSTR closed down 9.5% today, a new 52-week low. The stock is down nearly 70% from its high. @Saylor spent $54 billion over the past five years buying over 712K bitcoin at an average price of just over $76K. His total unrealized gain is less than 11%. Too bad he didn’t buy gold!

— Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) January 29, 2026

As of Bitcoin’s current price of $82,300, Strategy’s unrealized gains have fallen below 10%.

Some market experts warn that if Bitcoin declines further, falling below Strategy’s average purchase price, it could trigger a cascading sell-off.

Meanwhile, Strategy Chairman Michael Saylor announced that the company’s STRC preferred shares have delivered the first of an annualized Bitcoin return of around 11%, while mitigating roughly 85% of Bitcoin’s volatility.

Responding to this, Schiff wrote: “Yes, but where does the money come from to pay the 11% yield? MSTR is losing money. Paying the yield just adds to those losses.”

Bitcoin Plunges Below Key Support, Bear Flag Signals More Downside Bitcoin has breached multiple support levels, dropping to $82,000 earlier today. Crypto analyst Crypto Patel noted that the downside momentum continued after the price broke below a key support level.

According to Patel, Bitcoin fell below $85,000 following a rejection from the $95,000-$98,000 zone, resulting in an almost 12% decline from recent highs.

UPDATE: $BTC Breakdown Playing Out#Bitcoin dumped below $85k, now trading near $84.4k.
We called shorts at $95k–$98k, and price rejected from ~$98k, delivering nearly 12% downside already.

The Bear Flag Breakdown Remains Active, Downside Continuation Favored.

Targets: $75k →… https://t.co/SOiEXsRSSO pic.twitter.com/MLfgjE4bxE

— Crypto Patel (@CryptoPatel) January 29, 2026

Patel added that Bitcoin’s bear-flag breakdown remains intact, favoring further downside.

He outlined potential targets at $75,000 and $70,000, while noting that a higher-timeframe close above $90,600 would invalidate the bearish setup.

Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.

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Bhushan is a FinTech enthusiast and holds a good flair in understanding financial markets. His interest in economics and finance draw his attention towards the new emerging Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrency markets. He is continuously in a learning process and keeps himself motivated by sharing his acquired knowledge. In free time he reads thriller fictions novels and sometimes explore his culinary skills.

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Ethereum Price Prediction: What To Expect From ETH In February 2026Ethereum enters February weak, with mixed ETF flows and whales accumulating near key supportNUPL and RSI suggest fading selling pressure, but lack of capitulation limits rebound strengthPrice must reclaim $3,000 and $3,340, or risk breakdown toward $2,690 and $2,120 supportThe Ethereum price is entering February 2026 at a critical crossroads. After losing nearly 7% in January, ETH is closing the month in clear contrast to its historical trend. January’s median return stands near +32%, yet this year has moved in the opposite direction. February, meanwhile, has delivered median gains of around +15% since 2016.

The last time Ethereum entered February in a similar position was in 2025. That year, weakness extended into a 32%-37% monthly decline. Whether 2026 follows that path or breaks away from it will depend on how the technical structure, on-chain data, and institutional flows interact in the coming weeks.

Ethereum’s February History and a Falling Wedge Set Up a High-Stakes TestLooking at long-term data helps frame expectations. Since 2016, Ethereum has posted a median February return of about +15%. It is not the strongest month, but it has delivered more gains than losses.

January tells a different story this year.

Instead of following its +32% median gain, ETH is closing January 2026 down roughly 7%. That puts it closer to 2025’s pattern, when early weakness carried into a February decline.

Ethereum History: CryptoRankSponsored

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So Ethereum enters February at a crossroads.

However, not all analysts believe seasonality should be treated as a reliable guide.

The analytics team at B2BINPAY, an all-in-one crypto ecosystem for businesses, cautions against relying too heavily on historical patterns.

“Historical patterns are not something one should rely on blindly. Most of them exist for fairly obvious reasons,” they said.

They also added that ETH currently lacks immediate growth catalysts

“But there is no real reason to assume that February must bring growth. Based on this, it makes little sense to expect February to preserve any ‘historical’ bullish significance,” they highlighted.

They also point to last year as evidence:

“Even if we look at February 2025 as an example, Ethereum fell by 37%,” they said.

That skepticism is reflected in the current chart structure.

On the two-day timeframe, the ETH price remains inside a falling wedge. A falling wedge forms when the price makes lower highs and lower lows. It often signals weakening selling pressure and the potential for reversal.

In this case, the wedge is wide and volatile. A confirmed breakout would project a move of roughly 60%. That is a maximum target, not a forecast.

Momentum adds another layer.

Between December 17 and January 29, Ethereum is about to print lower lows on price. During the same period, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) held near 37. RSI measures whether buyers or sellers control momentum.

Price Structure: TradingViewWhen the price falls, but the RSI does not, selling pressure is weakening. This creates early bullish divergence.

If the next ETH price candle holds above $2,690 and RSI stabilizes, reversal odds improve as a lower low on price is confirmed. But confirmation is still missing. That makes on-chain data critical.

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On-Chain Data Supports a Rebound, but Conviction Is FadingOn-chain metrics provide the first major validation test. One key indicator is Net Unrealized Profit/Loss (NUPL). NUPL measures paper profits/losses.

Ethereum’s NUPL currently sits near 0.19, placing it in the “hope–fear” zone.

This level is important historically. In June 2025, NUPL fell near 0.17, while ETH traded around $2,200. Over the following month, the price surged toward $4,800, a gain of more than 110%.

So NUPL aligns with what the wedge and RSI are suggesting. Selling pressure is easing. Unrealized profits are shrinking. That creates room for upside.

But the signal is incomplete. True market bottoms usually occur when NUPL turns negative. In April 2025, it dropped near −0.22, marking full capitulation.

NUPL Still High: GlassnodeToday’s reading remains far above that, which means more selling room remains. This suggests relief rallies, not cycle resets.

HODLer behavior reinforces this mixed picture. The Hodler Net Position Change metric tracks whether long-term investors are accumulating or distributing. Throughout January, this metric stayed positive.

Accumulation peaked on January 18 at roughly 338,700 ETH. By January 29, it had dropped to around 151,600 ETH. That represents a decline of more than 55%. So holders are still buying, but with far less conviction.

Long-Term Investors Buying Less Strongly: GlassnodeThis fits with how B2BINPAY analysts describe the broader market environment.

“Demand and supply are currently balanced: buyers are willing to buy at roughly the same levels where sellers are willing to sell….The market needs a clear impulse either to the upside or to the downside for the picture to become clearer,” they said.

Taken together, NUPL and holder activity validate the rebound case, but show weakening conviction.

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That shifts attention to the next deciding group: big money!

Whales Are Accumulating, but ETFs Are Still MissingLarge holders are sending a stronger signal than institutional investors.

Data on supply held by whales shows steady January accumulation. At the start of the month, whales controlled about 101.18 million ETH. By month-end, that figure had risen to roughly 105.16 million ETH.

That is an increase of nearly 4 million ETH. This reflects active buying during weakness.

ETH Whales: SantimentWhile price declined from mid-January highs, large wallets continued adding exposure. That supports the ETH rebound case suggested by NUPL and the wedge.

This contrasts sharply with 2025.

At the end of January 2025, whale holdings stood near 105.22 million ETH. By the end of February, that figure had fallen to around 101.96 million ETH. That distribution coincided with Ethereum’s 32% February collapse. Last year, whales sold. This year, they are accumulating.

ETH Whales Were Selling Last Year: SantimentHowever, inconsistent ETF flows tell a more cautious story. Several strong inflow days were followed by major outflows. Late January saw withdrawals exceeding 70,000 ETH equivalents.

ETF Flows: GlassnodeWant more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.

This means ETFs have not joined the rebound trade decisively.

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John Murillo, Chief Business Officer of B2BROKER, a global fintech solutions provider for financial institutions, argues that January’s ETF behavior reflects tactical positioning rather than outright exit.

“The mid-January outflows from spot-ETH ETFs look less like a structural exit and more like tactical rebalancing. The late-month reversal, led by large inflows into Fidelity’s FETH, suggests that institutional behavior is increasingly two-sided.

…Rather than a wholesale reduction of risk, flows appear fragmented across issuers,” he said.

In Murillo’s view:

“January’s ETF dynamics point to maturation rather than outright retreat,” he mentioned.

Murillo warns that if this continues, derivatives may take control of price discovery, a key risk to price:

“If Feruary brings choppy or subdued ETF flows while derivatives activity continues to expand, the balance of influence may shift from spot demand to leverage-driven price discovery.

February is likely to test whether Ethereum’s price is anchored more by institutional spot allocation or by derivatives momentum,” he mentioned.

For now, whales are optimistic. Institutions remain cautious. That combination supports rebounds, but limits sustainability.

Ethereum Price Levels That Will Decide February 2026NUPL from earlier shows this is not a confirmed bottom. Downside risk remains.

The first critical ETH price support sits near $2,690.

This aligns with the recent two-day support and prior consolidation. A clean close below $2,690 would signal sellers regaining control. That opens downside toward $2,120.

On the upside, Ethereum must reclaim $3,000 first. This is both a psychological and structural barrier. Price has repeatedly failed here since December.

Holding above $3,000 would signal confidence returning.

Ethereum Price Analysis: TradingViewNext resistance stands near $3,340. This level has capped rallies since December 9. A breakout would mark a meaningful shift in the ETH price structure.

Above that, $3,520 becomes critical. A sustained break and hold above $3,520 would confirm momentum recovery and open upside toward $4,030.

Disclaimer

In line with the Trust Project guidelines, this price analysis article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice. BeInCrypto is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice. Always conduct your own research and consult with a professional before making any financial decisions. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.

London BTC Company Ltd (LSE:BTC, OTCQB:VINZF) announced it has signed a 30-day exclusive call option to acquire a 100% interest in the tenements containing the historic Chance gold mine, in Western Australia.

The company said the move forms “Stage One” of a hedging strategy aimed at reducing exposure to Bitcoin volatility, and, follows comments made in its interim results published in November.

The Chance Gold Mine is located about 4km south of the Copperhead Gold Mine near Bullfinch in the Western Australian Goldfields. The release cites historic production in the 1930s of ore grading 9.4 grams per tonne of gold. It also cites limited drilling by Troy Resources in the 1980s, including 2m grading 6.9 grams per tonne, with numerous drill holes reporting grades over 1 gram per tonne.

“We like Bitcoin and we like gold," said chair David Lenigas, adding: "linking the two we feel we could create a very exciting platform for growth and one that could see our Bitcoin operations grow faster.”

Under the transaction terms, London BTC paid A$5,000 for the call option over two granted tenements, P77/4569 and P77/4570. The option can be exercised within 30 days by paying a further A$5,000. The company said it will carry out due diligence during the option period to assess whether the project fits its objectives.

London BTC said it will undertake legal and geological due diligence on the ground during February and expects to report findings as results become available.

The company said it has a strong balance sheet, no external debt and 1,048 Bitcoin miners producing Bitcoin in North America, hosted at facilities in Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas in the US, and Labrador in Canada. It said revenues from mining and its balance sheet will be used to fund gold exploration with the intention that any realised increased value can be returned to its Bitcoin treasury and used to continue increasing its mining fleet.

It also said it is setting up a special purpose subsidiary in the US to explore the possibility of staking areas over prospective gold ground in known gold provinces. The company said potential US gold sites will also be assessed for suitability to host new stand-alone data centres to house Bitcoin mining operations.

Lenigas commented: "I believe that Gold is the hottest financial sector globally now, and our view is that holding exciting gold assets and, indeed, potentially holding physical gold in treasury, is a sound hedging strategy in these volatile times. I'm also very excited about the possibility of expanding this hedge into the US gold areas we are currently assessing.

"Great gold tenements can be run up the value curve and either developed or sold, and these funds could be used to make us bigger in Bitcoin much quicker."

An NVIDIA logo and a computer motherboard appear in this illustration taken August 25, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration//File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

SINGAPORE, Jan 30 (Reuters) - China has given its top AI startup DeepSeek approval to buy Nvidia's (NVDA.O), opens new tab H200 artificial intelligence chips with regulatory conditions that are still being finalised, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing sources, that ByteDance, Alibaba (9988.HK), opens new tab and Tencent (0700.HK), opens new tab had been given permission to purchase more than 400,000 H200 chips in total.

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told reporters in Taipei on Thursday that his company had not received such information. He added that he believed that China was still finalising the licence. Nvidia did not respond to a request for comment on DeepSeek's approval.

China's industry and commerce ministries have granted approvals for all four companies, but have stipulated that they will impose conditions that are still being finalised, the sources said. These conditions are being decided by China's state planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), according to one of the people.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Commerce and NDRC did not answer requests for comment.

DeepSeek, which rattled the global tech sector early last year by rolling out AI models that cost a fraction of those being developed by U.S. rivals such as OpenAI, did not answer a request for comment.

The H200, Nvidia's second most powerful AI chip, has emerged as a major flashpoint in U.S.-China relations. Despite strong demand from Chinese firms and U.S. approval for exports, Beijing's hesitation to allow imports has been the main barrier to shipments.

The U.S. earlier this month formally cleared the way for Nvidia to sell the H200 to China, where the company is seeing strong appetite. However, Chinese authorities have the final say on whether they would allow it to be shipped in.

Any purchases of H200 chips by DeepSeek could draw scrutiny by U.S lawmakers. Reuters reported on Wednesday that a senior U.S lawmaker had alleged that Nvidia had helped DeepSeek hone artificial intelligence models that were later used by the Chinese military, according to a letter sent to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

DeepSeek is expected to launch its next-generation AI model V4, featuring strong coding capabilities, in mid-February, The Information reported earlier this month.

Reporting by Fanny Potkin; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan

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