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SummaryI reiterate a "Hold" rating on SoFi Technologies heading into the Q4 print.The recent equity raises ($3 billion across the July and December rounds) add uncertainty on whether management funds organic growth or pursues the M&A route.I see the growth story largely intact. FY25 guidance calls for $3.54 billion adjusted net revenue (representing 36% yoy growth) and $1.035 billion adjusted EBITDA (29% margin), after a blowout Q3.Personal-loan annualized charge-offs fell to 2.60% in Q3, well below management’s 7%–8% maximum cumulative net loss assumption.Valuation remains rich at 48x forward earnings. However, I don't see this as a problem as long as the growth story remains intact. Joe Hendrickson/iStock Editorial via Getty Images

I resume my coverage on SoFi Technologies (SOFI), after my last rating didn't mature as I initially expected. Since my "Hold" in March 2025, the shares have doubled in price.

SoFi is a clear example of an overvalued stock that

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.

Key Takeaways Intel shares soared Wednesday, amid a broader rally for chip and AI-exposed stocks.Nvidia and Apple are planning to shift some 2028 chip production to Intel, DigiTimes reported Wednesday, adding to fuel to earlier rumors they could become clients. Could Intel be closer to winning new chipmaking contracts from Nvidia and Apple?

On a day when chip stocks were rising broadly, helped by strong orders and a rosy outlook from semiconductor-equipment maker ASML (ASML), Intel (INTC) shares were among the biggest gainers. The stock jumped 11% Wednesday as a report suggested the struggling chipmaker could be set to win some new clients for its manufacturing business.

Nvidia (NVDA) and Apple (AAPL) are planning to shift some 2028 chip production to Intel, while still maintaining their relationships with current supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM), according to a report from Taiwan-based DigiTimes.

Intel declined to remark on the report. TSMC, Apple, and Nvidia did not respond to Investopedia's requests for comment in time for publication.

Why This Is Significant Chipmaking deals with Nvidia and Apple would represent a major step forward for Intel, which has struggled to win new customers for its manufacturing business, and could boost confidence in its stock.

During Intel's earnings call last week, CEO Lip-Bu Tan said the company has been engaging a few prospective customers that are in the process of evaluating its manufacturing processes, according to a transcript provided by AlphaSense. It's unclear whether they included Apple and Nvidia.

The report from DigiTimes, which has added fuel to earlier rumors that Nvidia and Apple are considering new contracts with Intel, nodded to U.S. manufacturing mandates and tariff pressures as forces in Intel's favor.

Some Wall Street analysts have also previously suggested a deal with Intel could be seen as a way to win some political goodwill, after President Donald Trump brokered a deal last year that saw the U.S. government take a 10% stake in the chipmaker.

Meanwhile for TSMC, the word's largest chip manufacturer, "the anticipated order diversions to Intel may represent more opportunity than threat," DigiTimes wrote, as such moves could ease regulatory scrutiny and U.S. political pressure.

TSMC shares advanced 1% Wednesday, while Nvidia climbed close to 2%, and Apple slipped about 1%.

With today's gains, shares of Intel have added nearly a third of their value in 2026 so far.

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ToplineAmazon is calling it quits on its Fresh grocery and Amazon Go convenience store concepts as it realigns its grocery strategy around online delivery and Whole Foods, the company announced.

Los Angeles, CA - January 27: The Amazon Fresh store in Woodland Hills on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. A sign on the door of the store stated that it would be closed for the day. Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh physical stores will be closing. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)

MediaNews Group via Getty Images

Key FactsAmazon will shutter the full fleet of 57 Amazon Fresh stores and the remaining 15 Amazon Go locations after acknowledging that these concepts failed to deliver a “truly distinctive customer experience.”

Instead, Amazon is prioritizing investments in growth areas, such as online grocery delivery and Whole Foods, where it has differentiated business models and tailwinds from past successes.

Some of the closed brick-and-mortar locations will be converted to Whole Foods stores.

Key BackgroundWhere groceries are concerned, Amazon has found itself in unfamiliar territory: playing catch-up to category leader Walmart, which holds a dominant 21% market share. Amazon aims to narrow the gap by leaning into its ability to drive online sales and quick delivery, while also building up its natural and organic Whole Foods Market business. Amazon acquired Whole Foods for $13.7 billion in 2017—its first major move into brick-and-mortar grocery. Both online grocery and Whole Foods businesses have proven scalable. Whole Foods sales have grown over 40% since the acquisition. With 550 locations now, Amazon sees room to add 100+ more Whole Foods stores in the next few years, including small-scale Whole Foods Market Daily Shops. Whole Foods is also testing store-within-a-store integration with Amazon. On the online front, Amazon says it served over 150 million grocery customers last year, generating $150 billion in gross grocery and everyday-essentials sales. It also introduced same-day delivery in over 5,000 U.S. cities and towns last year, enabling online sales and rapid delivery of perishable groceries along with other items. It will expand same-day delivery to more communities in 2026.

Amazon Go Technology Proves Scalable, But Not The StoresAmazon Go convenience stores launched in 2018 with the intention of reinventing the convenience store concept, making it even more convenient with “Just Walk Out” technology. By activating the Amazon app, customers could walk in, pick up their items and leave the store immediately, with all purchases charged automatically—no checkout required. While the Go concept never gained enough traction to warrant continued retail expansion, Amazon has successfully licensed the Just Walk Out technology to over 360 third-party locations, including a sports arena, where getting patrons in and out of the concession stand quickly is paramount.

Amazon Fresh Stores Never Took HoldAmazon Fresh was first introduced as an online grocery delivery service in 2007, then Amazon Fresh supermarkets followed in 2020 as a more budget-friendly alternative to Whole Foods. But unlike Whole Foods, which had a well-defined identity and positioning in the marketplace, Amazon Fresh supermarkets couldn’t distinguish themselves from mainstream grocery stores. While the Amazon name carries enormous weight online, it never translated into a compelling advantage in physical grocery retail. However, Amazon will continue to support the Amazon Fresh delivery service, only the Fresh stores are closing.

Crucial Quote“Amazon is prudent to step back from rolling out an expensive fleet of suboptimal stores and to divert its investments to areas where it can have more impact and generate a better return—of which there are plenty. It is to these areas that Amazon will direct its immediate focus. Initiatives like integrating perishable groceries into the mainstream e-commerce operation, expanding fast delivery options and growing online assortments are all proven ways to increase grocery sales,” said Neil Saunders, GlobalData’s managing director. “Whole Foods also has significant potential, mainly because it has a clear point of differentiation in the market—one that Amazon is now intent on sharpening to include more food innovation.”

Further ReadingForbesAmazon Bets Big On Brick-And-Mortar With A Mega-Store Outside ChicagoBy Pamela N. DanzigerForbesJeff Bezos Retakes World’s No. 3 Richest Title—Passing Sergey Brin After Amazon Shutters Retail StoresBy Ty Roush

ForbesAmazon Will Cut 16,000 Jobs In Latest LayoffsBy Siladitya Ray

, /PRNewswire/ -- Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc. (NYSE: PDCC, PDPA) (the "Company") today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a regular monthly dividend on shares of the Company's common stock of $0.22 per share for February, March, April, and May 2026.

Amount per Common Share

Record Dates

Payment Dates

$0.22

February 13, 2026

February 27, 2026

March 17, 2026

March 31, 2026

April 16, 2026

April 30, 2026

May 15, 2026

May 29, 2026

The distribution will be automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock unless a stockholder opts out of the Dividend Reinvestment Plan ("DRIP") and elects to receive the distribution in cash. If the market price of the shares of common stock is equal to or exceeds net asset value at the time shares of common stock are valued for purposes of determining the number of shares of common stock equivalent to the cash dividend or capital gains distribution, participants in the DRIP are issued new shares of common stock from the Company, valued at the greater of (i) the net asset value as most recently determined or (ii) 95% of the then-current market price of the shares of common stock. The valuation date is the dividend or distribution payment date or, if that date is not a NYSE trading day, the next preceding trading day. If the net asset value of the shares of common stock at the time of valuation exceeds the market price of the shares of common stock, the DRIP Administrator will buy the shares of common stock for the DRIP in the open market.

Additionally, the Board of Directors has declared a regular monthly dividend on shares of the Company's 8.00% Series A Term Preferred Stock Due 2029 of $0.1667 per share for February, March, April, and May 2026.

Amount per Preferred Share

Record Dates

Payment Dates

$0.1667

February 13, 2026

February 27, 2026

March 17, 2026

March 31, 2026

April 16, 2026

April 30, 2026

May 15, 2026

May 29, 2026

The distributions on the Series A Term Preferred Stock reflect an annual distribution rate of 8.00% of the $25 liquidation preference per share.

About Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc.
Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc. (NYSE: PDCC, PDPA) is an externally managed, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. Its primary investment objective is to maximize its portfolio's total return, with a secondary objective of generating high current income. The Company seeks to achieve these objectives by investing primarily in equity and junior debt tranches of CLOs collateralized by portfolios of sub-investment grade, senior secured floating-rate debt issued by a large number of distinct US companies across several industry sectors. The Company is externally managed by Pearl Diver Capital LLP. For more information, visit www.pearldivercreditcompany.com.

About Pearl Diver Capital LLP
Founded in 2008, Pearl Diver Capital specializes in collateralized loan obligation (CLO) investing. Its data scientists and credit analysts use proprietary technology and advanced analytics to identify attractive opportunities in the CLO market. Pearl Diver's highly experienced team includes individuals from a wide range of scientific and mathematical backgrounds.

As of September 30, 2025, Pearl Diver Capital has approximately $2.9 billion in assets under management across multiple private funds backed by institutional investors ranging from public pension plans, university endowments, foundations, large family offices, corporate/ERISA pension plans and asset managers across the US, Europe and Latin America. Because it is strictly an investor in the CLO space, not an issuer, it has developed close relationships with over 80 CLO managers – and their analysts – across the CLO spectrum, enabling the firm to have rare access to critical credit information on underlying companies in CLO portfolios while avoiding conflicts of interest that might arise in performing roles that span both CLO investing and CLO management. For more information, visit www.pearldivercapital.com.

Investor Contact:
[email protected]
UK: +44 (0)20 3967 8032
US: +1 617 872 0945

SOURCE Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc.

Q4: 2026-01-28 Earnings SummaryEPS of $4.45 misses by $0.27

 |

Revenue of

$1.20B

(-11.15% Y/Y)

misses by $72.70M

Lennox International Inc. (LII) Q4 2025 Earnings Call January 28, 2026 9:30 AM EST

Company Participants

Chelsey Pulcheon - Director of Investor Relations
Alok Maskara - CEO, President & Director
Michael Quenzer - Executive VP & CFO

Conference Call Participants

Ryan Merkel - William Blair & Company L.L.C., Research Division
Amit Mehrotra - UBS Investment Bank, Research Division
Joseph Ritchie - Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Research Division
Thomas Moll - Stephens Inc., Research Division
Jeffrey Hammond - KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Research Division
Noah Kaye - Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., Research Division
Christopher Snyder - Morgan Stanley, Research Division
Julian Mitchell - Barclays Bank PLC, Research Division
Jeffrey Sprague - Vertical Research Partners, LLC
Nicole DeBlase - Deutsche Bank AG, Research Division
Joseph O'Dea - Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Research Division
C. Stephen Tusa - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Brett Linzey - Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Research Division
Nigel Coe - Wolfe Research, LLC
Deane Dray - RBC Capital Markets, Research Division

Presentation

Operator

Welcome to the Lennox Fourth Quarter Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this call is being recorded.

I would now like to turn the call over to Chelsey Pulcheon from Lennox Investor Relations. Chelsey, please go ahead.

Chelsey Pulcheon
Director of Investor Relations

Thank you, Madison. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us as we share our 2025 fourth quarter and full year results. Joining me today is CEO, Alok Maskara; and CFO, Michael Quenzer. Each will share their prepared remarks before we move to the Q&A session.

Turning to Slide 2, a reminder that during today's call, we will be making certain forward-looking statements, which are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties as outlined on this page. We may also refer to certain non-GAAP financial measures that management considers relevant indicators of underlying business performance. Please refer to our SEC filings available on our Investor Relations website for

STATEN ISLAND, New York, Jan. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coffee Holding Co., Inc. (Nasdaq: JVA) (the “Company,” “our” or “we”) announced its operating results for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2025. 

We are pleased to report to our shareholders the following:

 ●Sales of $96.3M, which is up 23% compared to fiscal 2024. ●Net income of $.25 per share, compared to $.39 per share in fiscal 2024. ●Cash dividend of $0.08 per share to be paid to shareholders.
Although we successfully increased our revenues by 23% during a turbulent period of market volatility, tariffs and consumer unhappiness with higher retail prices, our net income was negatively affected for multiple reasons.

The impact of tariffs during the second half of fiscal 2025 resulted in a negative cash balance of approximately $1 million as we attempted to shield our largest wholesale and retail customers from these tariffs. Had these costs from tariffs been passed on, it would have increased our selling price to the end consumer and possibly made us uncompetitive compared to the national brands at store level.

Now, with the tariffs on coffee imports eliminated, we do not anticipate a repeat of this cost imbalance in fiscal 2026.

In addition to the tariffs, our first full year of integrating and operating our new venture, Empire Coffee Company, resulted in an aggregate loss of over $1 million. The integration of Empire Coffee Company through our subsidiary, Second Empire, LLC, was a disappointment as it took several months longer than expected to win back Empire Coffee Company’s customers and to set up and manufacture existing Coffee Holding products at the acquired facility.

With the closing of the Comfort Foods facility in October of 2025, we believe we will achieve the economies of scale from an operational and manufacturing standpoint that we envisioned when we decided to acquire the Empire Coffee facility.

The anticipated annualized cost savings of between $750,000 to $1 million that we expected to achieve by closing Comfort Foods should now hopefully be realized in fiscal 2026, improving the overall profitability of our company.

In addition to these cost savings, we do not expect a repeat of the additional costs associated with discontinuing operations at a subsidiary. These costs included inventory and receivables write downs as well as an impairment of the right to use assets associated with our lease in Massachusetts, which totaled approximately $350,000. These charges also had a one-time negative effect on year-end results.

In spite of all these headwinds we faced in fiscal 2025, our gross profit only declined by 1%.

Moving into fiscal 2026, we believe that without these headwinds faced during the previous fiscal year, we should see expanded gross margins on our retail and wholesale business, especially our flagship brand, Café Caribe.

Lastly, we will be paying our previously announced dividend on or about February 26, 2026 to shareholders of the Company who held shares as of February 10, 2026.

About Coffee Holding

Founded in 1971, Coffee Holding Co., Inc. (NASDAQ: JVA) is a leading integrated wholesale coffee roaster and dealer in the United States and one of the few coffee companies that offers a broad array of coffee products across the entire spectrum of consumer tastes, preferences and price points. Coffee Holding’s product offerings consist of eight proprietary brands, each targeting a different segment of the consumer coffee market as well as roasting and blending coffees for major wholesalers and retailers throughout the United States who want to have products under their own names to compete with national brands. In addition to selling roasted coffee, Coffee Holding also imports green coffee beans from around the world, which it resells to smaller regional roasters and coffee shops around the United States and Canada.

Forward looking statements

Any statements that are not historical facts contained in this release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including the Company’s outlook on the revenue growth. Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, assumptions, estimates, intentions, and future performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control, and which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements upon information available to management as of the date of this release and management’s expectations and projections about certain future events. It is possible that the assumptions made by management for purposes of such statements may not materialize. Such statements may involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those relating to product demand, pricing, market acceptance, hedging activities, the effect of economic conditions (including tariffs), intellectual property rights, the outcome of competitive products, the results of financing efforts, the ability to complete transactions and other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of documents filed by the Company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement for events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made.

Company Contact

Coffee Holding Co., Inc.
Andrew Gordon
President & CEO
(718) 832-0800 

, /PRNewswire/ -- Securitize, Inc. ("Securitize" or the "Company"), the world's leading platform1 for tokenizing real-world assets, and Cantor Equity Partners II, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEPT) ("CEPT"), a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of Cantor Fitzgerald, today announced that Securitize Holdings, Inc. ("Pubco"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Securitize, has publicly filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a registration statement on Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement") in connection with the previously announced proposed business combination between Securitize and CEPT.

This filing follows Pubco's confidential submission of a draft registration statement on Form S-4, as previously announced on November 13, 2025, and reflects ongoing progress in the SEC review process.

The Registration Statement includes a combined proxy statement/prospectus relating to the proposed business combination and contains updated historical financial information for Securitize through the period ended September 30, 2025, reflecting the Company's operating results across its tokenized securities, fund administration, and digital-asset infrastructure businesses. As disclosed in the Registration Statement:

For the nine months ended September 30, 2025, Securitize reported total revenue of $55.6 million, representing an 841% increase compared to $5.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 For the year ended December 31, 2024, Securitize reported total revenue of $18.8 million, representing a 129% increase compared to $8.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 The Registration Statement remains subject to SEC review. Completion of the proposed business combination is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval of the proposed business combination by CEPT's shareholders and the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, upon which Securitize Holdings, Inc. is expected to become a publicly listed company.

1 https://app.rwa.xyz/platforms (Oct 2025)

About Securitize

Securitize is tokenizing the world with $4B+ AUM (as of Nov. 2025) through tokenized funds and equities in partnership with top-tier asset managers, such as Apollo, BlackRock, Hamilton Lane, KKR, VanEck and others. Securitize, through its subsidiaries, is a SEC-registered broker dealer, digital transfer agent, fund administrator and operator of a SEC-regulated Alternative Trading System (ATS). Securitize has also been recognized as a 2025 Forbes Top 50 Fintech company.

For more information, please visit:
Website | X/Twitter | LinkedIn

About Cantor Equity Partners II

Cantor Equity Partners II, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEPT) is a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. CEPT is led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brandon Lutnick and sponsored by an affiliate of Cantor Fitzgerald.

About Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.

Cantor Fitzgerald, with more than 14,000 employees, is a leading global financial services and real estate services holding company and a proven and resilient leader for more than 79 years. Its diverse group of global companies provides a wide range of products and services, including investment banking, asset and investment management, capital markets, prime services, research, digital assets, data, financial and commodities brokerage, trade execution, clearing, settlement, advisory, financial technology, custodial, commercial real estate advisory and servicing, and more.

Important Information and Where to Find It
This communication does not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the proposed transaction. In connection with the business combination, Pubco filed the Registration Statement with the SEC that includes a proxy statement/prospectus. CEPT shareholders and other interested parties are urged to read the Registration Statement and the proxy statement/prospectus when they are available, because they contain important information about Securitize, CEPT, Pubco, and the proposed transaction, including risk factors and other disclosures.

Copies of the Registration Statement and other documents filed with the SEC will be available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to Securitize, Inc., at [email protected].

Participants in the Solicitation

CEPT, Pubco, Securitize and their respective directors, executive officers, and certain of their shareholders and other members of management and employees may be deemed under SEC rules to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from CEPT's shareholders in connection with the proposed transactions. A list of the names of such persons, and information regarding their interests in the proposed transactions and their ownership of CEPT's securities are, or will be, contained in CEPT's filings with the SEC, including CEPT's prospectus filed on May 2, 2025. Additional information regarding the interests of the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from CEPT's shareholders in connection with the proposed transactions, including the names and interests of CEPT's, Pubco's and Securitize's directors and executive officers, is set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus, which was filed by Pubco, Securitize and CEPT, as applicable, with the SEC. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of these documents as described above.

No Offer or Solicitation
This press release and the information contained herein are for informational purposes only and are not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the proposed transactions and shall not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange the securities of CEPT or Pubco, or any commodity or instrument or related derivative, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act or an exemption therefrom. Investors should consult with their counsel as to the applicable requirements for a purchaser to avail itself of any exemption under the Securities Act.

Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws with respect to the proposed transactions involving Pubco, Securitize and CEPT, including expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, plans, prospects, financial results or strategies regarding Pubco, Securitize, CEPT and the proposed transactions and statements regarding the anticipated benefits and timing of the completion of the proposed transactions, the assets held by Pubco and Securitize, Pubco's listing on any securities exchange, the macro and political conditions surrounding digital assets, the planned business strategy, plans and use of proceeds, objectives of management for future operations of Pubco, pro forma ownership of Pubco, the upside potential and opportunity for investors, Pubco's plan for value creation and strategic advantages, market size and growth opportunities, investor benefits, regulatory conditions, competitive position, technological and market trends, future financial condition and performance and expected financial impacts of the proposed transactions, the satisfaction of closing conditions to the proposed transactions and the level of redemptions of CEPT's public shareholders, and Pubco's and Securitize's expectations, intentions, strategies, assumptions or beliefs about future events, results of operations or performance or that do not solely relate to historical or current facts. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "potential," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events or conditions that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including, but not limited to: the risk that the proposed transactions may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of securities of CEPT or Pubco; the risk that the proposed transactions may not be completed by CEPT's business combination deadline; the failure by the parties to the business combination agreement to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the proposed business combination, including the approval of CEPT's shareholders, or the PIPE investment; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transactions; the level of redemptions of CEPT's public shareholders which may reduce the public float of, reduce the liquidity of the trading market of, and/or maintain the quotation, listing, or trading of the Class A ordinary shares or the shares of common stock of Pubco; the lack of a third-party fairness opinion in determining whether or not to pursue the proposed business combination; the failure of Pubco to obtain or maintain the listing of its securities on any securities exchange after closing of the proposed transactions; costs related to the proposed transactions and as a result of Pubco becoming a public company; changes in business, market, financial, political and regulatory conditions; risks relating to Pubco's anticipated operations and business, including the highly volatile nature of the industry in which Pubco operates; risks related to increased competition in the industries in which Pubco will operate; risks relating to significant legal, commercial, regulatory and technical uncertainty regarding digital assets and tokenization; risks relating to the treatment of digital assets for U.S. and foreign tax purposes; risks that after consummation of the proposed transactions, Pubco experiences difficulties managing its growth and expanding operations; challenges in implementing Pubco's business plan (including expanding and/or growing its advisory services business) due to operational challenges, significant competition and regulation; being considered to be a "shell company" by any stock exchange on which Pubco's common stock will be listed or by the SEC, which may impact Pubco's ability to list Pubco's common stock and restrict reliance on certain rules or forms in connection with the offering, sale or resale of securities; the outcome of any potential legal proceedings that may be instituted against Pubco, Securitize, CEPT or others following announcement of the proposed transactions, and those risk factors discussed in documents that Pubco and/or CEPT filed, or that will be filed, with the SEC.

The foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of the final prospectus of CEPT dated as of May 1, 2025 and filed by CEPT with the SEC on May 2, 2025, CEPT's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, CEPT's Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Registration Statement filed by Pubco and Securitize and the proxy statement/prospectus contained therein, and other documents filed by CEPT and Pubco from time to time with the SEC. These filings do or will identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that CEPT, Securitize and Pubco do not presently know or that CEPT, Securitize and Pubco currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and none of CEPT, Securitize or Pubco assumes any obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. None of CEPT, Securitize or Pubco gives any assurance that any of CEPT, Securitize or Pubco will achieve its expectations. The inclusion of any statement in this communication does not constitute an admission by CEPT, Securitize or Pubco or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material.

Investor Relations
[email protected]

Media Contacts

Tom Murphy
[email protected]

Cantor Fitzgerald
[email protected]

SOURCE Securitize

By PYMNTS  |  January 28, 2026

 | 

Digital platforms will play an important role in the next stage of Starbucks’ turnaround strategy, Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said Wednesday (Jan. 28) during the company’s quarterly earnings call.

The company’s “Back to Starbucks” strategy is working and running ahead of schedule, Niccol said in a Wednesday earnings release.

During the quarter ended Dec. 28, 2025, Starbucks saw its global comparable store sales increase 4%, with North America and U.S. comparable sales up 4% and international ones up 5%, according to the release.

U.S. comparable transactions increased 3%, marking the first time there was growth in that metric in eight quarters, per the release.

Niccol said during the call that Starbucks saw growth in both rewards transactions and non-rewards transactions for the first time in nearly four years.

“So, two things happened: people came back to the brand, and we also drove engagement or more frequency with our existing customers,” Niccol said. “So, that’s a really strong foundation.”

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Niccol previewed the Back to Starbucks strategy in a September 2024 letter to partners, customers and stakeholders, saying he intended to guide the coffee giant back to its roots while navigating the future. His plan included providing baristas with the tools and time needed to craft exceptional drinks, ensuring a personalized and consistent customer experience, improving supply chain logistics and enhancing the mobile order program.

During Wednesday’s earnings call, Niccol said, “I’m most excited that our turnaround plan is coming to life in the way we envision. First, turn around the top line, and then earnings growth will follow.”

Moving forward, there are opportunities to gain efficiencies with technology solutions, both in the coffeehouses and in its support centers around the world, Niccol said.

“A key piece of our path forward is technology,” Niccol said.

Starbucks recently added Amazon veteran Anand Varadarajan as its new chief technology officer, Niccol said. Varadarajan most recently served as Amazon’s president of worldwide grocery technology.

“I am confident his leadership and knowledge will result in step change improvements across all our technology platforms,” Niccol said.

Starbucks scaled a new generative artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant called Green Dot Assist across its North American coffeehouses in November 2025, and the company has found that the tool helps users with tasks such as troubleshooting operational issues and adjusting deployment plans, Niccol said.

“It also provides a strong foundation to test and learn, then develop and scale thoughtful AI solutions that reduce friction for partners and help them focus on craft and connection with our customers,” Niccol said.

Starbucks’ “innovation pipeline” is full of new digital experiences, Niccol said later in the call.

First Community Corporation delivered strong 2025 results, with GAAP EPS up 36.5% year-over-year and robust loan growth. FCCO maintains a high-quality loan portfolio, improving net interest margin, and efficiency ratio, supporting continued Buy rating despite tempered future profit growth expectations. The Signature Bank of Georgia acquisition is expected to be accretive, expanding FCCO's affluent footprint and enhancing capital and margin metrics.

NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Bluerock Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: BLRKU) (the "Company") announced that holders of the units sold in the Company's initial public offering of 17,250,000 units, which includes 2,250,000 units issued pursuant to the exercise by the underwriters of their overallotment option in full, completed on December 12, 2025 (the "Offering"), may elect to separately trade the Class A ordinary shares and warrants included in the units commencing on or about February 2, 2026. Any units not separated will continue to trade on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "BLRKU," and each of the Class A ordinary shares and warrants will separately trade on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbols "BLRK" and "BLRKW," respectively.

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On-chain data revealed a wallet tied to John "Lick" controls 40% of LICK's supply following its Pump.fun launch.

A newly launched meme coin called LICK has come under scrutiny after on-chain data linked its creation to John Daghita, also known online as “Lick,” who has been accused of stealing $40 million from the US government.

In its latest update, blockchain analytics platform Bubblemaps reported that Daghita recently launched LICK on Solana-based meme coin launchpad, Pump.fun, and has been actively live-streaming on Telegram to promote the token. According to the data shared, a single wallet linked to Daghita holds roughly 40% of the total LICK supply, which has sparked immediate centralization and risk concerns.

Bubblemaps described the situation as “unhinged.”

From Seized Funds to Pump.fun The Bubblemaps update comes just days after prominent on-chain investigator ZachXBT published a detailed finding connecting the “Lick” to wallets tied to large-scale suspected thefts and funds linked to US government seizure addresses. ZachXBT said his investigation stemmed from a leaked recording of a private group chat, in which a threat actor named “John” was seen screensharing wallet balances and moving millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency during an argument with another actor.

According to ZachXBT, the dispute escalated into “band for band,” a practice in cybercrime circles where participants attempt to prove wealth by displaying and transferring funds in real time. The investigator stated that the recording showed John controlling multiple wallets and moving significant amounts of crypto while being filmed, which allowed the wallets to be traced afterward.

After analyzing the footage, the on-chain sleuth reported that the wallets displayed in the recording could be linked to more than $90 million in suspected thefts. He said that one wallet in the transaction chain received 1,066 WETH on November 20, 2025, which he traced back to a wallet that had received $24.9 million from a US government address in March 2024.

Ties to Bitfinex Funds ZachXBT claimed this address was connected to funds seized from the Bitfinex hack, which he previously reported on in October 2024. He further claimed that the same wallet received over $63 million in inflows from suspected victims and government seizure-related addresses during the fourth quarter of 2025, along with an additional 4,170 ETH, worth about $12.4 million at the time, originating from MEXC.

You may also like: Moltbot Founder Warns of Fake CLAWD Meme Coin Scams Inside the Crypto Laundering Networks of Gambling Syndicates Report: Crypto Scams, Hacks Drained Over $4B in 2025 John had a long history of boasting about his net worth on Telegram and shared identifiers tied to those messages, as per ZachXBT, who also added that rumors in cybercrime channels indicated the individual could be John Daghita, who was arrested in September 2025, though he acknowledged that further confirmation was needed.

The investigator raised additional questions about access to seized funds, while citing that John’s father owns CMDSS, a company holding an active US Marshals Service contract related to managing forfeited crypto assets. He stressed that it remains unclear how any access may have occurred.

Meanwhile, public statements from officials confirmed that the US government authorities are investigating the matter.

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Hyperliquid soared as crypto investors flocked to use leverage, but several waves of liquidations have damped enthusiasm.

Hyperliquid (HYPE +11.17%) is a relatively new crypto that launched just over a year ago and quickly shot into the top 20 cryptos by market cap. It is the utility coin for the Hyperliquid decentralized exchange (DEX), which boasts considerable trading volumes and more than 1.4 million users.

Image source: Getty Images.

At points, Hyperliquid seemed like it might be one of last year's break out cryptos. It started the year at $24.12 and surged to an all-time high of $59.30 in September. However, it had erased many of its gains by the end of December. It has since recovered some ground, and as of Jan. 28, it was up more than 50% in a previous week and is trading at about $33.43.

Whether being down more than 40% from its high makes it a fading star or a buying opportunity depends on how the crypto market evolves. Hyperliquid relies on both trading and leverage -- so it will suffer if there's a prolonged period of crypto lethargy or reduction in leverage trading. More broadly, Hyperliquid will benefit if more traditional financial markets move on chain and use the platform.

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Is Hyperliquid worth the hype? Perpetual futures (perps), a type of derivative contract, are at the heart of Hyperliquid's success. Investors use them to speculate on the prices of crypto and other commodities without owning the underlying assets, often using leverage.

Unlike traditional futures contracts, perpetual futures don't have an expiration date. They allow traders to open continuous positions, which adds flexibility and reduces costs. Hyperliquid offers leverage of as much as 40-fold. That is higher than many of its competitors and means an investor could multiply $1,000 into a $40,000 crypto position.

Hyperliquid is dominating the decentralized perpetual futures race. According to CoinTelegraph, Hyperliquid accounts for almost 70% of perp daily active users. With more than $8 billion in perp open interest, the total value of active contracts, it is miles ahead of its competitors, per DefiLlama.

Leverage via borrowing is fantastic if markets move the way you hope. But when the wind blows in a different direction, losses can multiply quickly. Plus, lenders demand more collateral in sinking markets and there's a risk of liquidation if you down't have it, in which case you can lose everything. This is what happened on Oct. 10, when a record $19 billion in liquidations shook the crypto market.

In addition to eye-watering leverage, there are a few things that make the Hyperliquid exchange stand out. It is a Layer-1 blockchain, which means it isn't reliant on, say Ethereum (ETH 0.27%) or Solana (SOL 1.23%) for processing. The chain can handle as many as 100,000 orders per second and there are no gas, or user, fees. Hyperliquid's efficiency could help it take share in stablecoins and other on-chain financial activity, though it is a competitive market.

Regulatory and competitive risks One aspect of Hyperlink that makes me cautious is that it doesn't have a long track record. The exchange began in 2023 and the coin launched at the end of 2024. If it is to attract more of the decentralized finance market, reliability will be key. It's worth noting that the Hyperliquid API was down for almost a half-hour last summer.

Another concern is regulatory. Hyperliquid does not require know-your-customer (KYC) registration and its terms of service prohibit U.S. residents from using the service. Not only is derivative trading closely regulated, the lack of KYC puts it at odds with anti-money laundering rules.

Regulatory crackdowns could reduce usage significantly. Particularly as people can use VPNs to get around any geo-restrictions. A June article from Unchained Crypto reported that about 25% of its total traffic comes from the U.S.

Finally, while perpetual futures are gaining traction in the U.S., Hyperliquid faces stiff competition. Last year, centralized platforms like Robinhood (HOOD 1.73%) and Coinbase (COIN 0.66%) rolled out perps for U.S. customers. They may have lower leverage rates and fewer cryptos, but Americans can legally access their services. That's before we consider the other DEXs vying for customers.

Hyperliquid is unlikely to set you up for life Building wealth long-term rarely happens by betting on just one thing. Particularly one very risky thing. Investing in Hyperliquid could help to diversify your crypto holdings, but only as a small part of your wider investments.

Hyperliquid has a lot going for it and perpetual futures trading remains a core part of the crypto industry. It may well perform well as crypto adoption increases and more transactions move on-chain. That said, it is far from the only player and the regulatory clouds are worrying. If you're looking to build wealth long term, more established cryptocurrencies like Ethereum likely have more utility and carry less risk.

Solana (SOL) has triggered a death cross, as the 50-period moving average dips below the 200-period MA on the 3-hour chart. 

This classic bearish signal indicates that downward momentum could persist amid the broader market downturn, putting SOL under increased selling pressure.

Solana is currently trading at $125.42, down 12% for the week, according to CoinGecko. The drop mirrors broader crypto market weakness, as major tokens continue to struggle amid persistent negative sentiment despite occasional short-lived rallies.

Notably, the death cross signals that sellers are in control, often triggering extended downward pressure that can last for weeks. 

For Solana, this bearish pattern, compounded by weakness across the broader crypto market, illustrates significant challenges ahead, particularly for short-term traders chasing quick gains.

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Nevertheless, all hope isn’t lost. Renowned analyst Ali Martinez identifies a critical inflection point for Solana based on a decisive close above $129. Clearing this resistance could flip SOL’s trend bullish and ignite a recovery, especially as the network just recorded a historic $804 million in stablecoin inflows, signaling renewed capital and growing confidence.

Source: Ali Martinez Therefore, a sustained break above $129 could reignite buying interest and signal a shift in momentum. However, failure to defend current support may send SOL toward lower levels, particularly as a draft U.S. Senate bill poised to reshape crypto regulation seeks to place major assets such as Solana, XRP, and Dogecoin on equal regulatory footing with Bitcoin and Ethereum.

What next? Solana’s death cross underscores mounting short-term bearish pressure, mirroring broader crypto-market weakness. However, as Ali Martinez points out, a decisive close above $129 could mark a turning point, potentially shifting SOL’s near-term trend and reviving bullish momentum.

WisdomTree expanded its tokenized funds to Solana on Wednesday, enabling retail and institutional investors to access the firm’s tokenized funds. Users will be able to access the tokenized funds through the WisdomTree Connect and WisdomTree Prime platforms.

The New York-based asset manager stated that the initiative to integrate its tokenized funds into Solana was part of the firm’s multi-chain deployment strategy. Maredith Shannon, the firm’s Head of Business Development, Digital Assets, stated that the initiative reflects the firm’s focus on regulated real-world assets across the on-chain ecosystem.

Solana helps WisdomTree meet growing crypto-native demand WisdomTree tokenized funds are now live on @Solana

WisdomTree Prime and Connect users can access regulated money market, equity, fixed income, and multi-asset funds natively on Solana, with the ability to hold them in self-custody wallets.

Read the Press Release:… pic.twitter.com/sgmolzWsZK

— WisdomTree Prime® (@WisdomTreePrime) January 28, 2026

Users of WisdomTree Connect and WisdomTree Prime can access the firm’s tokenized funds via money markets, equities, fixed income, alternatives, and asset allocation funds. The funds will also be accessible through the firm’s stablecoin conversion service, USDC and PYUSD.

The firm stated that WisdomTree Connect enables users to mint WisdomTree tokenized funds on Solana. The feature offers conversion and subscription services via WisdomTree’s stablecoin. The feature will also allow institutional clients to purchase, hold, and manage tokenized fund positions directly on the Solana blockchain. 

The firm stated that WisdomTree Prime users can on-ramp USDC directly from Solana via its application, which also provides access to regulated, yield-generating tokenized funds. According to the report, the entire on-ramping process will remain on-chain to eliminate the friction in traditional banking rails.

“Solana’s infrastructure, which focuses on high transaction speeds, allows us to meet growing crypto-native demand while maintaining the regulatory standards institutions expect, giving both institutional and retail investors more seamless, on-chain access to tokenized funds.”

–Maredith Shannon, Head of Business Development, Digital Assets at WisdomTree.

Nick Ducoff, Head of Institutional Growth at the Solana Foundation, said the initiative mirrors the growth of real-world assets on Solana, surpassing $1 billion. The firm also said its decision to expand access to its tokenized RWAs on Solana shows the blockchain’s ability to support that demand at scale.

Solana doubles down on financial infrastructure WisdomTree’s expansion to the Solana blockchain comes as Armani Ferrante, CEO of crypto exchange Backpack, stated that the ecosystem spent 2025 doubling down on financial infrastructure. He believes that Solana is now shifting back toward decentralized finance, trading, and payments. 

Ferrante also noted that institutional interest in SOL has rarely been stronger despite crypto prices remaining subdued and crypto-native investors remaining cautious. He believes that Wall Street has never been more bullish, pointing to Solana’s growth around tokenization, stablecoins, and on-chain settlement. At the time of publication, Solana is trading at $125.76, down around 1.4% in the past 7 days.

Ferrante stated that the concept of a token as a canonical, agreed-upon ledger entry for ownership applies everywhere. He also argued that real-world adoption of Solana will require deeper integration with regulatory frameworks.

Despite crypto investors’ caution, WisdomTree’s Head of Equity Strategy, Jeff Weniger, and Head of Investment Strategy, Kevin Flanagan, believe gold could break above $6,000 if investors change their apathy. Gold broke above $5,000 earlier this week, while Silver sliced through $100, driven by central bank accumulation and heightened geopolitical tensions. 

WisdomTree’s Global Chief Investment Officer, Jeremy Schwartz, revealed that most investors have 0-3% in gold and very little in diversified commodity allocations. He noted that approximately $17 billion in assets in diversified commodity strategies in the U.S. were invested across the entire ETF industry. Schwartz also believes that investors holding 0-3% in gold means they’re betting against inflation hedging, monetary debasement, and diversification.

Schwartz acknowledged that he likes gold but doesn’t want to sell stocks or bonds with more fundamental income streams to fund it. He believes that investors don’t need to reallocate from stocks or bonds to gold if they can overlay it capital efficiently.

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Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) and Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) are consolidating in tight ranges after sharp selloffs, with no clear catalyst to break them out. Dogecoin: Consolidating After Yesterday's 7% Drop DOGE is stuck between $0.1175 and $0.1287 after dropping 7% yesterday from $0.1260 to test support near $0.1175.

Flare announced the launch of the FXRP/USDH spot market on Hyperliquid, expanding XRP's onchain trading infrastructure and liquidity. The new market builds on the recent FXRP/USDC rollout and integrates XRP with USDH.

TL;DR

A fractal analysis projects a Bitcoin correction to $45,000 by October 2026. Bitcoin trades near $89,000, supported by a weak US dollar and record gold prices. Alternative indicators show bullish trends with ETF inflows and strong key support levels. Bitcoin seeks to reconquer the $90,000 resistance zone while a trading expert suggests the asset will likely experience a correction in the coming months. The analysis presents conflicting scenarios about price direction in 2026.

TradingShot’s outlook, shared in a TradingView post on January 28, indicated that a possible drop to $45,000 can be derived from the view that Bitcoin’s current market structure increasingly mirrors the 2022 bear cycle.

If the rejection materializes, the historical fractal points to a multi-stage decline through successive supports, first near $70,000, then around $51,000 to $52,000, and ultimately toward $45,000, mirroring the proportional depth of the 2022 bear-market low.

By aligning the timing of the two cycles, the spacing between moving-average rejections and final lows suggests the sell-off could culminate in early October 2026, reinforcing the view that Bitcoin tracks a broader cyclical pattern rather than reacting to a single indicator.

The outlook arrives as Bitcoin climbed above $89,000 on Wednesday, supported by a weaker U.S. dollar and soaring gold prices, which bolstered demand for alternative assets.

The dollar hovered near four-year lows, while gold hit record highs above $5,200 an ounce. However, Bitcoin remained largely rangebound, trading between $88,000 and $89,000, as investors awaited the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy decision.

Technical Indicators Support Bearish Projection TradingShot’s Bitcoin prediction to $45,000 relies primarily on fractal pattern analysis from the 2022 bear market cycle, supported by specific moving average behaviors and momentum signals.

The 100-day and 200-day moving averages show rejection at the 100-day MA, with an upcoming test of the 200-day MA near $100,000 to $104,000 expected to act as failed resistance, mirroring 2022’s multi-month decline path.

The RSI at 45 points indicates neutral-to-weak momentum, confirming correction phase without bullish divergence, consistent with historical pre-drop readings.

Current distance from the 200-day SMA signals insufficient strength for reversal, aligning with fractal timing between MA tests and subsequent breakdowns through supports at $70,000 and $51,000 to $52,000.

Daily chart overlays show Bitcoin’s rally-rejection pattern matching 2022’s structure post-ATH, projecting staged drops to $45,000 by early October 2026 if resistance holds.

Alternative technical analyses counter TradingShot’s $45,000 Bitcoin drop prediction by highlighting bullish divergences, structural breakouts, and macro-aligned momentum that fractals often overlook.

Many analysts note Bitcoin holding above the 200-week SMA (around $68,000), a historically reliable long-term floor, with recent bounces forming higher lows—contrasting TradingShot’s failed 200-day MA resistance thesis. Golden cross formations between 50-day and 200-day MAs signal uptrends, not breakdowns.

RSI above 41 on weekly charts shows sustained bullish momentum with positive MACD crossovers, while spot ETF inflows exceeding $5 billion monthly provide volume-backed support, invalidating deep correction fractals amid institutional buying.

Post-halving cycles typically see mid-year consolidations before Q4 rallies. Key supports at $80,000 (Fib 0.382 retracement) and $89,000 (prior ATH base) align with Tom Lee’s ATH call by January end, prioritizing macro resilience over 2022 pattern repeats.

Traders watch volume patterns at current levels Accumulation near $89,000 could signal preparation for an upward move, particularly if selling pressure continues to fade.

The $100,000 psychological barrier remains a key checkpoint. Breaking above it on sustained volume would validate bullish control and open the path to higher resistance zones. Failure to reclaim it keeps bears in control of medium-term price action.

Options markets price in heightened volatility around major dates, including Fed announcements and potential ETF decision deadlines. Implied volatility levels suggest traders expect wider price swings in coming weeks compared to recent consolidation.

The fractal analysis assumes pattern repetition without accounting for fundamental differences between 2022 and 2026 market conditions. Institutional adoption through ETFs, regulatory clarity improvements, and corporate treasury allocations create structural support absent in previous cycles.

Technical resistance at $92,000 to $95,000 represents the next battle zone for bulls. A daily close above this range on increasing volume would negate the bearish fractal thesis and target $105,000 to $110,000 based on Fibonacci extensions.

Volume analysis shows accumulation phases at current levels, with whale addresses adding holdings during recent consolidation. On-chain metrics indicate reduced exchange balances, suggesting buyers remove coins from trading platforms for long-term storage.

The conflicting analyses highlight uncertainty in Bitcoin’s near-term trajectory. While fractals point to potential downside, momentum indicators and institutional flows suggest continued strength. 

Solana’s validator count has dropped nearly 70%, raising decentralization concerns as zero-fee giants squeeze out smaller operators.

Izabela Anna2 min read

28 January 2026, 08:50 PM

Solana’s validator ecosystem is undergoing a sharp contraction that is raising fresh concerns about long-term decentralization. The network now supports fewer than 800 validators, down from roughly 2,500 at its peak. 

This near 70% decline reflects more than routine cleanup. While some inactive operators have exited, many independent validators report that economic conditions no longer support sustainable operations.

Several small operators say the challenge is not technical confidence in Solana, but structural imbalance. Large validators continue to dominate stake inflows by offering zero-fee services. 

Smaller validators, however, cannot match that model without operating at a loss. Consequently, stakers gravitate toward the largest operators, reinforcing stake concentration across the network.

Validator Economics Tilt Toward Large OperatorsHistorically, smaller validators relied on stake pools and foundation-backed matching to remain viable. However, those mechanisms are weakening. Stake pools increasingly charge higher fees to validators, reducing net returns. As a result, pooled stake no longer guarantees profitability for independent operators.

Additionally, foundation stake matching has declined sharply. Reports indicate matching support has fallen by about 50%. For many validators, that reduction removed their only consistent revenue source. Even operators participating in multiple pools now report sustained losses.

Hence, decentralization risks shifting from a network principle to a financial burden. Several validators say continued participation now depends on goodwill rather than economic logic. That dynamic raises concerns about long-term resilience if validator diversity continues to shrink.

Market Structure Mirrors Network UncertaintySolana’s token price behavior reflects similar structural tension. SOL trades near $125.97, posting mild daily and weekly declines. The asset remains trapped inside a wide two-month range. According to Umair Crypto, SOL recently rejected the value area high near $141, rallied toward $148, then failed near $150.

That rejection triggered a sharp drop toward $117. Price has since returned to the value area low near $128. If buyers defend that level, SOL could push toward $132 and possibly retest the range midpoint near $138. However, that move would still signal consolidation rather than trend expansion.

Significantly, acceptance below $120 would shift market structure bearish. Acceptance above $150 would flip the outlook bullish. Until then, price action remains rotational, with downside risk still favored.

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Izabela Anna is a knowledgeable freelance journalist, who boasts over five years of experience covering the cryptocurrency market. Her tenure has seen her navigate through the ebbs and flows of multiple market cycles, giving her a deep understanding within. Her journalistic focus lies in dissecting price action dynamics, scrutinizing the on-chain landscape, and providing insights from a technical perspective, making her a trusted voice in the realm of cryptocurrency reporting.

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Latest Solana (SOL) News Today

Bitcoin hovered near $89,000 on Wednesday as the Federal Reserve opted to hold interest rates steady, pausing its rate-cutting cycle and striking a notably calmer tone on inflation and the labor market.

The bitcoin price traded above $90,000 earlier in the session before slipping to around $89,500 as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell spoke at his post-meeting press conference. 

The move came after the Fed announced it would keep its benchmark federal funds rate unchanged at a range of 3.5% to 3.75%, ending a streak of three consecutive 25-basis-point cuts delivered in September, October, and December.

The decision reflected a central bank increasingly comfortable with the economy’s trajectory, even as inflation remains above target. Policymakers cited moderating job growth and lingering price pressures as reasons to pause further easing.

The Federal Open Market Committee voted 10–2 to hold rates, with Governors Stephen Miran and Christopher Waller dissenting in favor of another quarter-point cut. 

Miran, whose term expires Saturday, has consistently argued for deeper rate reductions. Waller, meanwhile, is one of the potential candidates to succeed Powell as Fed chair and last dissented in July when the Fed also held rates steady.

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says President Trump may pick a new Fed Chair 'in a week or so' 👀

Pro-Bitcoin Rick Reider is currently leading by 10% in the odds for the job — Polymarket pic.twitter.com/8IjKqoaYpe

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) January 28, 2026 Fed’s Powell: The economy is expanding at a solid pace In its statement, the FOMC said the economy continues to expand “at a solid pace,” noting that job gains “have remained low” while unemployment has shown “some signs of stabilization.” Inflation, the committee added, “remains somewhat elevated.”

Powell reinforced that message, emphasizing that after cutting rates by a cumulative 175 basis points over the past year, the Fed now views policy as close to neutral.

“It’s hard to look at the incoming data and say that policy is significantly restrictive at this time,” Powell said, describing the current stance as “loosely neutral or somewhat restrictive — it’s in the eye of the beholder.”

That framing mattered for markets. Bitcoin has historically responded positively to easing financial conditions, but Wednesday’s price action suggested traders who were prepared for this FOMC decision and were recalibrating expectations for near-term rate cuts rather than reacting to outright hawkishness.

Powell struck a measured tone on the labor market, pushing back against fears of a sharp deterioration. He noted that recent payroll reports showed average job losses of about 22,000 per month, while private-sector hiring remained modestly positive. 

Slower labor supply growth, he said, reflected reduced immigration and participation rather than collapsing demand.

On inflation, Powell pointed to tariffs as a major driver of elevated goods prices, calling them a largely “one-time” effect rather than a source of persistent inflation. 

Core personal consumption expenditures inflation stands at 2.9% year over year through December, still above the Fed’s 2% target.

“The expectation is that we will see the effects of tariffs flowing through goods prices peaking and then starting to come down,” Powell said, barring new trade actions.

For bitcoin traders, Powell’s comments reinforced a familiar narrative: the Fed is no longer aggressively tightening, but it is also in no hurry to deliver further stimulus. That middle ground has supported bitcoin’s ability to hold recent gains while capping near-term upside tied to hopes of rapid rate cuts.

Who will be the next Fed chair?  The succession question also loomed over the meeting. Asked what advice he would offer his eventual successor, Powell delivered a pointed, three-part response: stay out of politics, stay engaged with Congress, and respect the institution’s staff.

“Stay out of elected politics. Don’t do it,” Powell said, underscoring the Fed’s need to maintain independence at a moment when its authority faces heightened scrutiny, including an ongoing Supreme Court case involving the central bank.

Waller’s dissent and Miran’s departure have fueled speculation about the Fed’s future leadership and policy direction, a factor increasingly watched by crypto markets sensitive to shifts in monetary philosophy.

Trump’s pick for Federal Reserve chair could be announced within a week or two, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, according to Yahoo Finance.

On Polymarket, Rick Rieder leads the betting to become the next Fed chair at roughly 37%, followed by Kevin Warsh at about 28%, with Christopher Waller a distant third near 15%.

Micah Zimmerman

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

TLDR WisdomTree has expanded its tokenized funds offering to the Solana network, providing access to a full range of financial products. Both institutional and retail investors can now mint, trade, and hold tokenized funds directly on Solana. The tokenized products available include money market funds, equities, fixed income, and asset allocation strategies. Users can access the funds through WisdomTree Connect and WisdomTree Prime platforms, with USDC on-ramp options. Solana’s high transaction speed and low fees played a key role in WisdomTree’s decision to deploy on the network. WisdomTree has expanded its tokenized funds offering to the Solana network, moving beyond Ethereum and other major chains. This development enables both institutional and retail investors to mint, trade, and hold WisdomTree’s entire range of tokenized products. These include money market products, equities, fixed income, and more, all structured as regulated exchange-traded offerings.

Expansion to Solana Provides More Access Points for Users WisdomTree’s decision to bring its full suite of tokenized funds to Solana reflects a growing demand for accessible blockchain-based financial products. By deploying these funds across multiple blockchains, the firm aims to reach a broader audience while maintaining compliance standards. Users can now access these funds through WisdomTree Connect and WisdomTree Prime platforms, offering seamless on-chain participation.

For investors, the integration with Solana provides a unique advantage. It allows users to mint and trade tokenized products directly on Solana, a blockchain known for its high throughput and low transaction costs. As part of the expansion, users can also on-ramp USDC directly from Solana into these platforms, enabling stablecoin-based subscriptions to regulated products. This setup aligns with the broader trend of allowing crypto-native users to access regulated assets without relying on traditional cash systems.

WisdomTree Leverages Solana’s High Throughput and Low Fees Solana’s infrastructure was a key factor in WisdomTree’s choice to expand onto the network. The blockchain’s high transaction speed and cost-effectiveness were critical in scaling the tokenized fund products. Nick Ducoff, head of institutional growth at the Solana Foundation, emphasized that the network’s ability to support growing demand at scale made it an attractive option for WisdomTree.

Solana now ranks as the fourth-largest network for distributed tokenized assets. According to RWA.xyz data, it holds around $1.3 billion in on-chain RWA value, accounting for roughly 5.6% of the total distributed asset market share. While Ethereum still dominates this space with over 60% market share, Solana’s increasing adoption for tokenized products reflects its competitive edge in transaction speed and cost efficiency.

WisdomTree has been a leader in tokenizing traditional assets, using blockchain technology to extend existing financial products. The move to Solana builds on this model, making the entire range of tokenized funds available rather than creating separate crypto-only offerings. This approach contrasts with the traditional method of issuing isolated pilot programs, positioning WisdomTree as a forward-thinking player in the financial blockchain ecosystem.

Uniswap Labs is rolling out its liquidity boosting “Continuous Clearing Auctions” protocol on its main web app, essentially introducing it to the masses for the first time and potentially reshaping how tokens are launched on the largest Ethereum-based DEX, according to an announcement on Wednesday. 

These permissionless, onchain auctions, first conceptually introduced late last year, provide a price discovery mechanism for “new and low-liquidity tokens.” Extending CCAs to the Uni frontend will help users easily discover auctions, place bids, and claim tokens directly from the interface.

“Liquidity formation often happens behind closed doors, creating information gaps and thin, unstable markets once tokens trade openly,” Uniswap Labs wrote. “With CCA, auctions run fully onchain, with transparent pricing, bidding, and settlement.” 

In addition to boosting transparency, CCAs will also minimize the impact of trading bots programmed to snipe liquidity during token launches. This is because Continuous Clearing Auctions introduce tokens at a slower pace to match actual buying demand, with an autonomous system automatically calculating the fair market price.

When the auction is over, buyers receive tokens, and real liquidity is automatically added to a Uniswap v4 trading pool. 

“For new assets, this means users can participate at the auction stage before tokens are widely available for trading on the interface,” Uniswap said. “For existing assets, this means teams can use the same mechanism to distribute supply and bootstrap liquidity.”

Frontend swap While not an overhaul of the Uniswap protocol in itself, introducing CCAs as a core offering on its main frontend could radically reshape Uniswap’s token launch process, essentially by crowd-sourcing a token's price and smoothing volatility. 

Uniswap's protocol contracts for Continuous Clearing Auctions are already live on the Ethereum main chain and the Unichain, Arbitrum, and Base Layer 2s.

According to Uniswap, Aztec ran the first token distribution using a Continuous Clearing Auction in November, raising $60 million from more than 17,000 bidders, and said it detected “no instances of sniping or automated manipulation.”

“The entire auction happened fully onchain, giving participants a real-time view into how the market formed,” Uniswap added. 

Uniswap Labs will start displaying “ongoing and upcoming CCAs” on the frontend, meaning developers will no longer have to build custom frontends for their auctions.

The system will also let projects define how many tokens will be offered, a starting price, and how long the auction will run, as well as customizing other aspects, like adding ZK Passport as a verification tool.

Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

© 2026 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses In Varonis To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options

If you purchased or acquired securities in Varonis between February 4, 2025 and October 28, 2025 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

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NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Varonis Systems, Inc. (“Varonis” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: VRNS) and reminds investors of the March 9, 2026 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.

Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.

As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: Defendants provided overwhelmingly positive statements to investors while, at the same time, disseminating materially false and misleading statements and/or concealing material adverse facts concerning the true state of Varonis’ ability to convert its existing customer base; notably, that it was not truly equipped to convince existing users of the benefits of converting to the SaaS offering or otherwise maintain those customers on its platform, resulting in significantly reduced ARR growth potential in the near-term. Such statements absent these material facts caused Plaintiff and other shareholders to purchase Varonis’ securities at artificially inflated prices.

On October 28, 2025, Varonis announced its financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2025, disclosing a significant miss to ARR and reducing its projections for the full fiscal year 2025, despite previously uplifting guidance for the previous two consecutive quarters. The Company attributed its results and lowered guidance on weaker than expected renewals and conversions in their federal and non-federal on-premises subscription business. Varonis further resultantly announced the end of life of the self-hosted solution and a 5% headcount reduction.

Following this news, Varonis’ common stock declined dramatically. From a closing market price of $63.00 per share on October 28, 2025, Varonis’ stock price fell to $32.34 per share on October 29, 2025, a decline of about 48.67% in the span of just a single day.

The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.  

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Varonis’s conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

To learn more about the Varonis Systems class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/VRNS or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

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

Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.

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Brinker International, Inc. (EAT) Q2 2026 Earnings Call January 28, 2026 10:00 AM EST

Company Participants

Kim Sanders - Vice President of Investor & Government Relations
Kevin Hochman - President, CEO & Director
Mika Ware - Executive VP & CFO

Conference Call Participants

Dennis Geiger - UBS Investment Bank, Research Division
Christopher O'Cull - Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, Research Division
David Palmer - Evercore ISI Institutional Equities, Research Division
John Ivankoe - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Jeffrey Farmer - Gordon Haskett Research Advisors
Jon Tower - Citigroup Inc., Research Division
Brian Harbour - Morgan Stanley, Research Division
Brian Vaccaro - Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Research Division
Eric Gonzalez - KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Research Division
Hyun Jin Cho - Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Research Division
Sara Senatore - BofA Securities, Research Division
Jeffrey Bernstein - Barclays Bank PLC, Research Division
Andrew Strelzik - BMO Capital Markets Equity Research

Presentation

Operator

Good day, and welcome to the Brinker International's Q2 F '26 Earnings Call. [Operator Instructions] It is now my pleasure to turn the floor over to your host, Kim Sanders, Vice President of Investor Relations. Ma'am, the floor is yours.

Kim Sanders
Vice President of Investor & Government Relations

Thank you, Holly, and good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us on today's call. Here with me today are Kevin Hochman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Brinker International and President of Chili's; and Mika Ware, Chief Financial Officer. Results for our second quarter were released earlier this morning and are available on our website at brinker.com. As usual, Kevin and Mika will first make prepared comments related to our strategic initiatives and operating performance.

Then we will open the call for your questions. Before beginning our comments, I would like to remind everyone of our safe harbor regarding forward-looking statements. During our call, management may discuss certain items which are

, /PRNewswire/ -- Kuehn Law, PLLC, a shareholder litigation law firm, is investigating whether certain officers and directors of Integer Holdings Corporation (NYSE: ITGR) breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders. 

According to a federal securities lawsuit, Insiders at Integer caused the company to misrepresent or fail to disclose that: (1) Integer materially overstated its competitive position within the growing EP manufacturing market; (2) despite Integer's claims of strong visibility into customer demand, the Company 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 the Company's C&V segment; and (4) as a result of the above, positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. 

If you currently own ITGR and purchased prior to July 25, 2024 please contact Justin Kuehn, Esq. by email at [email protected] or call (833) 672-0814.  Kuehn Law pays all case costs and does not charge its investor clients. Shareholders should contact the firm immediately as there may be limited time to enforce your rights. 

Why Your Participation Matters:

As a shareholder your voice matters, and by getting involved, you contribute to the integrity and fairness of the financial markets. Your investment. Your voice. Your future.™ 

For additional information, please visit Shareholder Derivative Litigation - Kuehn Law.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contacts:
Kuehn Law, PLLC
Justin Kuehn, Esq.
53 Hill Street, Suite 605
Southampton, NY 11968
[email protected]
(833) 672-0814

SOURCE Kuehn Law, PLLC