Market Signal Briefing

Coinbase's Bitcoin (BTC) price dropped below competing exchanges this week, and the gap continues to widen.

CoinGlass reported on Jan. 26 that its Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index, which tracks the price difference between Coinbase's BTC/USD and Binance's BTC/USDT, turned sharply negative, indicating Bitcoin trades at a discount on the largest US venue compared to offshore competitors.

The move arrives as US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1.1 billion in outflows last week and broader risk appetite weakened, raising questions about whether American institutional demand is cracking or whether something messier is happening in crypto market plumbing.

The answer is likely both, and the distinction matters because a persistent discount reveals more than sentiment, exposing constraints in how liquidity moves between venues, how ETF flows translate to spot execution, and whether arbitrage infrastructure can keep markets connected during stress.

The Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index turned negative in mid-January and continued widening through January 26, indicating persistent selling pressure on the US exchange.Defining the signalCoinGlass documents its premium index as the price difference between Coinbase Pro and Binance, with a negative reading meaning Bitcoin is cheaper on Coinbase than on Binance.

The index is not purely a demand gauge, as it measures the spread between a USD-denominated venue and a USDT-denominated venue, which introduces mechanical effects from stablecoin deviations, funding conditions, and offshore leverage dynamics.

The baseline interpretation treats widening negative premiums as evidence of relatively stronger sell pressure or weaker bid depth on US-linked venues compared to offshore markets.

However, cross-exchange price deviations can persist for days or weeks even in liquid markets, reflecting genuine segmentation rather than pure supply-demand shifts.

Research on crypto price formation documents large recurring gaps driven by transfer frictions, compliance barriers, credit limits, and inventory constraints that prevent arbitrage from closing dislocations instantly.

The question is not whether selling exists, as it always does, but why cross-venue arbitrage failed to compress the gap and what that reveals about stress in financing, settlement infrastructure, or risk appetite.

ETF plumbing channelWhen US spot Bitcoin ETFs record net outflows, authorized participants and market makers adjust hedges and liquidity provision, which can translate into net spot selling or reduced bid depth.

Coinbase serves as a primary liquidity venue for US institutional crypto infrastructure, handling custody for over 80% of Bitcoin ETF issuers, and BlackRock materials reference Coinbase Prime as an affiliate of the iShares Bitcoin Trust custodian.

That embedded role means ETF redemption activity can route through Coinbase-linked execution pathways more directly than through offshore venues.

Farside Investors data shows multiple days of sizable outflows from US-traded Bitcoin ETFs over the past week, totaling over $1.3 billion.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net outflows exceeding $700 million on Jan. 21, with continued redemptions through Jan. 23 totaling over $100 million.The timing correlation is suggestive but not definitive, as most US spot Bitcoin ETFs use cash creations and redemptions rather than pure in-kind transfers, which introduces latency between ETF share flow and spot execution.

The pattern resembles a symptom of balance sheet tightening.

When ETF flows wobble and macro risk appetite weakens, US-linked liquidity providers pull bids faster than offshore leverage unwinds, creating transient but persistent discounts.

The premium becomes a real-time gauge of whether institutional appetite is keeping pace with supply. And, right now, it suggests US bids are stepping back.

USD-USDT plumbing channelThe index structure introduces a second mechanical driver: because Coinbase trades against USD and Binance against USDT, any deviation in the USDT/USD rate affects the calculated premium even if spot demand is identical across venues.

Kaiko has documented episodes in which USDT rapidly flips between discount and premium during market stress, driven by stablecoin supply constraints, offshore funding conditions, or perp market basis dynamics.

If USDT trades above parity, then BTC/USDT prices appear optically higher, mechanically worsening Coinbase's discount even if no additional selling occurs on Coinbase itself.

Perpetual swap markets compound this effect. Funding rates are mechanically linked to spot-perp basis calculations. When funding turns negative or compresses, the relationship between USD and USDT venues can dislocate as traders adjust hedges venue-by-venue based on margin requirements and collateral preferences.

This channel doesn't invalidate the demand interpretation, complicating it instead. A widening discount can simultaneously reflect US spot selling pressure and offshore stablecoin microstructure stress.

Derivatives stress and arbitrage constraintsWhen the CME Bitcoin futures basis compresses, and perpetual swap funding turns negative or flat, spot becomes the fastest hedge leg for traders unwinding positions.

CF Benchmarks notes that the CME basis is strongly tied to sentiment shifts and momentum regimes, and that basis compression often coincides with risk-off moves.

If basis and premium both deteriorate simultaneously, that alignment points to a broader de-risk environment rather than an isolated US weakness.

In frictionless markets, a Coinbase discount should attract buy-on-Coinbase, sell-offshore arbitrage until the gap closes.

Persistent widening implies something is constraining that flow: balance sheet limits, compliance frictions, transfer costs, volatility risk, or simply that arbitrage capital is deployed elsewhere.

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Academic work on crypto arbitrage documents large recurring deviations and meaningful market segmentation, with price gaps persisting longer during sell-offs when liquidity deteriorates, and risk limits tighten.

Kaiko research discusses fragmentation-driven dislocations that flare during stress periods, noting order book depth can thin asymmetrically across venues.

If Coinbase's bid depth shrinks relative to Binance's, discounts persist even if arbitrageurs recognize the opportunity, because executing large size becomes prohibitively expensive or risky.

The most actionable signal is not that selling exists but that market connectivity is degrading.

When institutional flow turns negative, financing signals deteriorate, and arbitrage can't close gaps, the combination indicates genuine stress rather than routine volatility.

Bitcoin prices diverged sharply across venues on Aug. 5, 2025, with Binance.US dropping below $49,000 while Coinbase and Binance remained near $51,000.Three forward scenariosThe first foreseeable scenario is a reversion, in which ETF flows stabilize or turn positive, risk appetite recovers, and the premium mean-reverts to zero.

This path depends on macro stabilization and renewed institutional appetite, which aggregators' data can confirm day to day. If outflows stop and inflows resume, arbitrage capital returns, and discounts naturally compress.

The second scenario involves persistence, with the premium remaining negative as ETFs continue bleeding and macro conditions remain risk-off.

Rallies become fragile because the US bid depth never fully recovers, creating resistance at higher price levels. This regime favors patient sellers over momentum buyers and keeps volatility elevated.

Microstructure shock scenario: USDT/USD dislocates sharply, funding regimes shift abruptly, or a venue-specific event introduces new frictions.

The premium becomes noisy and less interpretable as a pure demand signal, with larger intraday swings driven by offshore stablecoin dynamics rather than spot flows.

Broader implicationCoinbase's widening discount functions as a symptom dashboard rather than a single diagnosis.
It reflects US-linked net selling and weak bids when ETF flows are negative, but it also reflects USD-versus-USDT plumbing stress and constrained arbitrage capacity.

All three dynamics intensify during risk-off regimes, making the premium a composite signal of institutional appetite, stablecoin microstructure health, and market connectivity.

The forward-looking question is whether arbitrage infrastructure can keep pace with institutional flow shifts. If ETFs continue bleeding while arbitrage remains constrained and financing conditions tighten, the discount becomes a leading indicator of liquidity fragmentation rather than a lagging indicator of sentiment.

The difference matters because fragmentation persists longer and resolves less predictably than simple supply-demand imbalances.

For now, the widening gap suggests US balance sheets are tightening faster than offshore leverage is unwinding, and that market plumbing is struggling to keep prices in sync.

That combination doesn't guarantee further downside, but it does indicate the infrastructure needed to absorb selling pressure or sustain rallies is operating under stress. And stress, once embedded in market microstructure, tends to linger even after headlines improve.

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The cryptocurrency market is in the green following the massive selloff recorded during the weekend.

Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency by market cap, has reclaimed the $88k level after adding 1% to its value since Monday. Ether is also eyeing the $3k psychological level after bouncing out of a key support zone.

The positive performance on Monday was met with the Ethereum (ETH) treasury firm Bitmine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) announcing its biggest Ether acquisition so far this year. 

BitMine purchased over 40k ETH last week Copy link to section

Tom Lee’s BitMine announced on Monday that it continued its weekly acquisition of the top altcoin, purchasing 40,302 ETH last week. 

Thanks to this latest acquisition, BitMine now holds 4.24 million ETH, worth about $12.29 billion at the time of publication.

Its stash accounts for 3.52% of the total Ethereum supply, bringing the company closer to its 5% goal. 

Furthermore, BitMine also staked an additional 171,264 ETH last week.

Its total staked assets have climbed to over 2 million ETH (roughly 50% of its Ether holdings), deployed across three staking providers. 

BitMine is optimistic of generating $374 million annually from staking when it stakes its entire ETH balance.

While speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, Tom Lee stated that policymakers and business leaders are embracing digital assets.

“…We view 2026 as the year policymakers and world leaders now view digital assets as central to the future of the financial system. And as Larry Fink notes, this is positive for smart blockchains. Ethereum remains the most widely used by Wall Street today and the most reliable blockchain with zero downtime since inception,” Lee added.

In addition to over 4 million Ether, BitMine also holds 193 Bitcoin (BTC), a recent $200 million stake in Beast Industries, a $19 million stake in Eightco Holdings (ORBS), and a total cash of $682 million.

The latest acquisition comes after the company’s shareholders approved its proposal to increase its authorized shares from 500 million to 50 billion last week. 

Ether eyes the $3,058 resistance level Copy link to section

The ETH/USD 4-hour chart remains bearish despite the recent recovery.

The momentum indicators have improved, suggesting that the bulls could push ETH’s price higher in the near term. 

ETH’s bounce from the $2,786 support resulted in $81 million in liquidations over the past 24 hours, led by $52 million in short liquidations, 

At press time, Ether is trading above $2,920 and could rally higher in the near term.

If Ether sustains its recovery, it could face resistance at the $3,058 level, which is strengthened by the 20-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA).

The RSI of 47 is still below the neutral 50 but suggests that the bulls are regaining control.

The MACD lines are also showing signs of improvement and heading into the neutral region. 

However, if the bulls fail to sustain the recovery, Ether could retest the $2,775 support, with the weekly support level of $2,625 also a possibility in the near term. 

Bitcoin faces rising volatility as Federal Reserve rate decisions and U.S. oil data converge on January 28.

Bitcoin (BTC) is facing a test of its sensitivity to traditional finance as two major macro events converge on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.

The cryptocurrency’s near-term trajectory may be swayed by U.S. crude oil inventory data and the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision, with both holding power to shift market-wide expectations on inflation and liquidity.

Markets Enter “Super Wednesday” With Risk Appetite on Pause On-chain technician GugaOnChain described January 28 as a “super Wednesday” for global markets, pointing to U.S. crude oil inventories and the Federal Reserve meeting as parallel risk events.

“Both events have the potential to alter expectations of inflation, liquidity, and risk,” the analyst wrote. “In this scenario, Bitcoin emerges as an asset sensitive to the same variables, reacting both to energy shocks and to changes in monetary policy.”

According to them, West Texas Intermediate crude futures for March settled around $61 per barrel, down about 0.7% on the day, while open interest fell by more than 21,000 contracts. They noted that declining participation in oil markets suggests traders are reducing exposure before the key macro signals land.

GugaOnChain also highlighted a moderate negative correlation between Bitcoin and crude oil over the past week, with BTC up just over 5% in that period while oil was flat. According to the analyst, energy markets remain a reference point for inflation expectations, which in turn feed into liquidity conditions that affect Bitcoin and other risk assets.

They concluded with a direct assessment of the current setup:

“The numbers reveal a market in a waiting mode. Super Wednesday will be decisive to calibrate expectations and may redefine the correlation between energy and crypto.”

Bitcoin Price Action Reflects Broader Macro Caution At the market, the price of the number one cryptocurrency gained about 0.6% in the last 24 hours, trading in a narrow range between $87,000 and $89,000. Zooming out, the asset is down about 3.6% over the past week and nearly 4% across two weeks, even as the broader crypto market has been flat.

You may also like: Ripple (XRP) and Cardano (ADA) Show Deeper Undervaluation Than Bitcoin (BTC) ‘Bitcoin Isn’t in a Bull Market:’ Expert Warns $80K Wasn’t the Bottom A Wallet Flex Turned Into an On-Chain Trail: ZachXBT Links ‘Lick’ to US Seizure-Related Funds On a monthly view, BTC is marginally higher, but it remains about 12% lower year over year and almost 30% below its all-time high achieved in October last year when it went past $126,000.

This underperformance comes as institutional flows remain uneven. A recent CoinShares report showed $405 million leaving Bitcoin-linked investment products in a single week, reflecting reduced exposure as expectations for near-term Fed rate cuts faded.

At the time, analysts at QCP Capital said that BTC has struggled to hold gains even when supported by traditionally positive macro narratives, pointing to ongoing selling pressure during U.S. trading hours.

As traders await clarity on Fed guidance and inflation signals tied to energy prices, Bitcoin’s tight range suggests conviction is limited. However, both crypto and traditional markets seem to be focusing on absorbing the policy tone instead of chasing short-term moves.

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After the Lighter crypto token dropped to a low of $1.53, buyers stepped in and defended the market from further slip. As such, LIT successfully defended the $1.5 support level and jumped to a local high of $1.85, only to slightly retrace. 

As of this writing, Lighter [LIT] traded at $1.81, up 16.4% on the daily charts. This price uptick was backed by a 16% jump in trading volume, reflecting bullish momentum. 

Lighter sees renewed demand After LIT tested $1.5, traders in the Futures market rushed to take strategic positions. According to CoinGlass data, the altcoin’s Open Interest (OI) climbed 16% to $145.7 million while Volume rose 28% to $178 million. 

When OI and Volume rise in tandem, it signals increased participation and capital flows into the futures market. 

Source: CoinGlass

In fact, the altcoin saw over $83.37 million in Futures Inflow compared to $79.2 million in outflows. As a result, Futures Netflow jumped 237% to $4.08 million, indicating buyer dominance in the futures market. 

Meanwhile, the altcoins Long/Short Ratio climbed above 1, to 1.004, with Binance Top Traders dominating. A ratio above 1 suggested that most traders rushed into the market and took long positions, signaling market bullishness. 

Whales stake $2.3 million worth of LIT Interestingly, during the price pump, investors, especially whales, turned to the network’s staking pool. According to Winngamer, two whales deposited $2,322,712 worth of LIT into the lighter staking pool.

The first whale deposited $2,084,712 in LIT after holding the funds for a month. The second whale deposited $238,000 in LIT after holding the funds for 1 month. 

Source: Winngamer on X

Typically, when investors turn to staking, it signals long-term conviction while they lock tokens to earn yield. 

Even more importantly, locking tokens into the staking pool reduces supply, thus rising scarcity, a major boost for potential price appreciation. 

On top of that, the Lighter team has been extremely active on the token buyback side. As such, the team has spent most of its fee revenue on LIT buybacks. 

Source: DeFiLlama

In fact, Cryptolycus reported that the Lighter buyback program has repurchased over 2.4 million LIT in less than a month. 

Usually, increased buybacks also reduce supply, thereby increasing the risk of a supply shock. With demand for staking and tokenbacks, these two combined position the altcoin on a positive trajectory.

Is this demand enough to flip $2? LIT successfully defended $1.5, as demand returned from across all market participants. With capital flows into futures, whales staking and token buybacks, its upside momentum strengthened.

As a result, the altcoin’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) made a bullish crossover, but still failed to flip 50, now settling at 49. Likewise, the altcoin flipped its short-term moving average, EMA50, signaling strengthened upside momentum.

Source: TradingView

With RSI making a bullish move but still held within the bearish zone, it signaled the buyer’s attempted market takeover. For the bullish continuation, the altcoin’s RSI must flip 50, edge into the bullish zone, and also flip EMA20.

In doing so, the upside strength will be validated, boosting it to reclaim $2 and target $2.5 resistance. If this attempted takeover fails, LIT will retrace towards $1.7, with $1.49 as the key support level.

Final Thoughts Lighter successfully defended $1.5 and jumped to a local high of $1.8 amid renewed demand Whales turned staking, as they staked $2.3 million worth of LIT while token buybacks surpassed 2.4 million LIT. 

Shiba Inu's burn rate increased by 2,807% in 24 hours, but SHIB price remains unaffected.

Newton Gitonga2 min read

27 January 2026, 11:08 AM

Shiba Inu's token burn rate surged by 2,807% in the past 24 hours, sparking widespread discussion across cryptocurrency communities. The percentage increase appears substantial at first glance. The actual impact on SHIB's market fundamentals remains negligible.

Approximately 18.8 million SHIB tokens were removed from circulation during this period. Social media channels celebrated the development as a bullish signal, but market data tells a different story.

The Numbers Don't Add UpShiba Inu's circulating supply exceeds hundreds of trillions of tokens. Burning 18.8 million units represents a fraction so small it becomes statistically insignificant. The reduction accounts for less than 0.00002% of the total supply.

Even sustained daily burns at this rate would require decades to create measurable supply compression. The math simply doesn't support the narrative that such activity drives meaningful price appreciation.

The burn mechanism itself lacks systematic implementation. Transactions remain small, voluntary, and scattered. No protocol-level changes have been introduced to automate or enforce token destruction at scale.

This stands in stark contrast to deflationary models employed by networks like Ethereum. ETH burns transaction fees automatically through its base fee mechanism. The process is predictable, substantial, and built into network operations.

SHIB's burns depend on community participation and manual wallet sends. They carry no economic weight comparable to programmatic supply reduction.

Price Action Contradicts the HypeMarket performance provides the clearest evidence that burn activity isn't influencing SHIB's value. The token continues trading below critical moving averages. Technical indicators show no reversal pattern forming.

Volume remains weak across major exchanges. Recent attempts to establish upward momentum have failed to generate follow-through. Price consolidation persists within a defined downtrend.

If token burns were creating genuine scarcity pressure, markets would respond. Buyers would accumulate in anticipation of a tightening supply. Trading volume would expand as participants positioned for appreciation.

None of these signals is present. SHIB trades with the same characteristics it displayed before the burn rate increase. The correlation between burn announcements and price movement is essentially zero.

SHIB has dropped 0.37% over the last 24 hours, trading around $0.00000764 at the time of writing.

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Newton Gitonga covers cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and digital finance. He specializes in breaking down complex trends with clear, data-driven reporting. His work focuses on market analysis, technical insights, and the evolving role of altcoins in shaping global markets.

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Latest Shiba Inu News Today (SHIB)

Key NotesHYPE jumps over 21% in 24 hours as Hyperliquid’s liquidity claims go public.Hyperliquid says BTC and TradFi perps now rival major CEXs in depth and open interest.Critics argue visible order book depth on Hyperliquid overstates real executable liquidity. HYPE HYPE $27.61 24h volatility: 23.9% Market cap: $6.58 B Vol. 24h: $504.30 M jumped more than 21% in the last 24 hours, trading near $26.8 at the time of writing.

Trading volume doubled over the same period. The move followed public comments from Hyperliquid founder Jeff, who said the platform has now become the most liquid venue for global crypto price discovery.

Jeff shared internal comparisons that showed deeper BTC perpetual order book depth on Hyperliquid versus Binance.

He also pointed to strong growth in non-crypto perpetual markets, saying TradFi-linked contracts now trade with similar depth.

This was his first public statement since Jan. 1.

Hyperliquid has quietly achieved an important milestone of becoming the most liquid venue for crypto price discovery in the world. See below for side by side comparison of BTC perps on Binance (left) and Hyperliquid (right).

With HIP-3 teams leading the way, Hyperliquid has also… https://t.co/xu41eTqPfI pic.twitter.com/aJCFYjMoxV

— jeff.hl (@chameleon_jeff) January 26, 2026

Liquidity Debate Emerges The liquidity claim did not go unchallenged as analyst CryptoNoddy argued that direct order book comparisons between Hyperliquid and centralized exchanges miss key design differences.

Hyperliquid uses a speedbump model where order cancellations have priority over taker orders. This allows market makers to show size without the same fill risk seen on Binance.

Not discrediting what Hyperliquid has achieved – clearly it's both a major source of liquidity and price discovery, as shown with several ~$1B positions having been opened (congrats!) – but this type of surface level comparison of book depth as a measure of liquidity is pretty… pic.twitter.com/pvRI4YWRim

— CryptoNoddy (@Crypto_Noddy) January 27, 2026

During a recent ETH perpetual move at 9:41 PM UTC, Hyperliquid showed around $20 million in visible depth within a ±0.7% range near $2,914.

As the price shifted, most of that liquidity was pulled, leaving only around $2.5 million in actual trading volume.

Other major exchanges saw more volume filled during the same window, despite thinner-looking books, the analyst noted, adding that visible depth on Hyperliquid does not equal executable liquidity under fast conditions.

HIP-3 Open Interest Hits Record Levels Alongside the debate, Hyperliquid revealed that open interest tied to HIP-3 reached a new all-time high of $790 million.

Just one month ago, HIP-3 open interest was around $260 million. The increase was largely driven by growth in commodities-linked perpetuals.

HIP-3 open interest reached an all-time high of $790M, driven recently by a surge in commodities trading.

HIP-3 OI has been hitting new ATHs each week. A month ago, HIP-3 OI was $260M.

— Hyperliquid (@HyperliquidX) January 26, 2026

This rise in open interest shows that real capital continues to deploy on the platform, regardless of how liquidity is measured.

Large positions near the $1 billion mark have already appeared on Hyperliquid.

HYPE Daily Chart Analysis and Key Levels to Watch On the daily chart, HYPE broke out of a falling wedge structure after reclaiming the $26 zone.

Price now trades above short-term resistance that capped the pullback through November and December.

The next technical trigger sits at the 9-day and 21-day EMA on the daily timeframe. A bullish cross is projected in roughly 2.2 days if price holds above $24.12.

This level now acts as key short-term support. A clean hold keeps upside pressure active.

$HYPE pushing $26 level as mentioned

Got that falling wedge breakout now and a potential 1D 9/21 EMA cross setup if price can hold above $24.12 in ~2.23 days time

I still think anywhere in the orange box is a decent entry into HYPE, been buying since $20

Will update here https://t.co/lBWuG63pJw pic.twitter.com/24cwn9QytV

— that1618guy (@that1618guy) January 27, 2026

As per analyst “that1618guy” on X, HYPE demand zone sits between roughly $20.10 and $24.10.

This area previously absorbed sell pressure and marked accumulation during the prior correction.

Maxi Doge Presale Hits $4.53 Million, Gains Early Traction As HYPE continues to climb, Maxi Doge (MAXI) is drawing attention ahead of 2026. This fitness-themed meme coin mixes gym vibes with fast-paced crypto action and has already pulled in $4.53 million during its presale.

Maxi Doge positions itself as a high-energy alternative to the older meme coins. The project promises a raw, community-driven vibe while building a solid structure behind the hype.

Tokenomics of Maxi Doge Funds Raised So Far: $4.5M Staking APY: 69% Current Price: $0.0002801 MAXI holders take part in an active online community that includes trading chats, weekly events, and themed challenges. The project also runs the Maxi Fund, which is used to support liquidity and partnerships.

Early buyers are offered a 69% annual staking return to support long term holding. The token is currently priced at $0.0002801, with a price increase expected soon. Check out our guide on how to buy Maxi Doge if you want to join the presale.

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.

Market News

A crypto journalist with over 5 years of experience in the industry, Parth has worked with major media outlets in the crypto and finance world, gathering experience and expertise in the space after surviving bear and bull markets over the years. Parth is also an author of 4 self-published books.

Parth Dubey on LinkedIn

10h15 ▪ 4 min read ▪ by Luc Jose A.

Summarize this article with:

While bitcoin seemed to be initiating a rebound at the beginning of this year, the momentum suddenly froze. Around 88,000 dollars, the asset struggles to convince, held back by a climate of political and monetary uncertainty. Institutional investors are easing off, cooled by tensions in Washington and the Fed’s wait-and-see attitude. While some indicators reveal a continued upward trend, signals from the derivatives markets tell another story : that of a market that doubts, observes, and waits.

In Brief Bitcoin stalls around $88,000, held back by an uncertain political and economic context. Institutional investors reduce their exposure, as shown by data on futures and options. The drop in the futures premium and the rise in put options signal a decline in bullish confidence. The threat of a federal shutdown in the United States pushes markets towards safe havens, to Bitcoin’s detriment. Market Professionals Scale Back The derivatives market provides clear indicators of a retreat in risk appetite among the most seasoned investors.

Despite a recent rebound of Bitcoin around 88,000 dollars, institutional operators do not seem inclined to support a continued upward trend. Data extracted from exchange platforms reveal a significant drop in the futures premium. Thus, the annualized premium on three-month Bitcoin futures has fallen to 9 %, down from 13 % a week earlier.

Several elements confirm this cautious climate :

A decline in futures premium : the tightening premium suggests that market players no longer pay to secure long positions, reflecting a loss of confidence in a rapid price rise ; Stagnation of institutional positions on the CME : data from the Chicago exchange do not record a significant recovery of net long positions, showing a waiting attitude among professionals ; Overvalued put options : put options for levels below 80,000 dollars trade at a higher premium, signaling an anticipation of correction ; Unbalanced put/call ratio : the marked interest in put options translates a heightened willingness to hedge against potentially bearish volatility. Technical signals converge towards the same reading: institutional investors opt for caution and prefer marginal positioning, in a climate where bullish catalysts are neither obvious nor immediate.

The Macroeconomic Environment Redirects Flows Beyond internal crypto market dynamics, macroeconomic forces weigh on the trajectory of bitcoin. Among them, the prospect of a federal shutdown in the United States acts as a catalyst of uncertainty.

Concerns are growing about Congress’s ability to pass a budget law on time, and markets react by moving toward assets perceived as more stable. Indeed, this American institutional tension contributes to the current wait-and-see stance in the crypto market: the specter of a federal shutdown fuels a rotation towards safe-haven assets.

Moreover, the other point of tension comes from US monetary policy. Expectations of Federal Reserve decisions slow down risk-taking, in a context where any indication of tightening could increase selling pressure on volatile assets.

Thus, traders await clear signals from the Fed regarding interest rates, which delays positions on bitcoin. At the same time, gold has reached a historic high, capitalizing on this quest for security that benefits traditional financial instruments.

In a climate full of uncertainties, the bitcoin price reflects growing tensions between hopes of recovery and investor caution. Between Fed policy and the risk of a shutdown, market signals urge restraint.

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Luc Jose A.

Diplômé de Sciences Po Toulouse et titulaire d'une certification consultant blockchain délivrée par Alyra, j'ai rejoint l'aventure Cointribune en 2019. Convaincu du potentiel de la blockchain pour transformer de nombreux secteurs de l'économie, j'ai pris l'engagement de sensibiliser et d'informer le grand public sur cet écosystème en constante évolution. Mon objectif est de permettre à chacun de mieux comprendre la blockchain et de saisir les opportunités qu'elle offre. Je m'efforce chaque jour de fournir une analyse objective de l'actualité, de décrypter les tendances du marché, de relayer les dernières innovations technologiques et de mettre en perspective les enjeux économiques et sociétaux de cette révolution en marche.

DISCLAIMER

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.

Tue, 27/01/2026 - 9:28

After 50 days of silence, Shiba Inu (SHIB) lead Shytoshi Kusama returns with a teaser that is cryptic but optimistic, hinting at an AI-driven project built "beyond crypto.".

Cover image via U.Today Shiba Inu's star figure, Shytoshi Kusama, just broke his longest silence in over a year — and he did not come back to talk about burns or bull flags.

Shytoshi had been missing from X since Dec. 8, but then he showed up again today, on Jan. 27, with a mysterious update aimed at the "wise and patient" rather than at speculators. 

His first message? Heads up: "This is war, not a battle." The context? It appears to be artificial intelligence — and what's coming next.

HOT Stories

SHIB/USD by TradingViewReferencing his now-resurfaced "AI Paper" from July 2025, the one published by The Shib Magazine, Shytoshi claimed the dystopian scenario laid out in that essay may have already been avoided because of it. 

For those not familiar, the piece had predicted 80% unemployment and systemic collapse driven by unchecked AI expansion.

Now, he says the tech he has been working on — which is beyond crypto, with a small company, and guided "by the grace of God" — is almost ready to launch. What exactly it is remains unknown. 

Is it about the price of Shiba Inu coin?But Shytoshi made it clear that whatever's coming will not be revealed in one drop. He said that this reveal would take a while, and he encouraged his followers to reread the paper and see how much AI has changed in just six months.

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SHIB's price has not reacted much yet. TradingView data shows a flat $0.00000768 print after a slight rebound from sub-$0.00000735 lows. There has been no spike or surge, just a calm situation. But if Shiba Inu's history is any indication, silence often means something is cooking. And Shytoshi's language was not just optimistic; it was full of vision.

The last time he used this tone, Shibarium followed. This time, he starts with "Amen" and ends with "We are here and we are ready."

Whatever it is, it does not sound like a meme anymore.

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Bitvocation Report Details Evolving Bitcoin Job Market in 2025Bitvocation’s 2025 Bitcoin Jobs Data report highlighted the hiring trends among Bitcoin-only companies and Bitcoin-adjacent companies. The report defines Bitcoin-only companies as businesses that meet three conditions:

Their products are exclusively focused on Bitcoin and not any competing cryptocurrencies. They publicly identify as Bitcoin-only or Bitcoin-first in their mission or communications. They actively contribute to the Bitcoin ecosystem, such as through open-source development or community involvement. According to the findings, in 2025, there were 1,801 unique Bitcoin-related job listings. This marked a 6% increase from 1,707 in 2024.

Bitcoin-only firms accounted for 47% of total listings, up from 42% last year. At the same time, Bitcoin-adjacent companies represented 53%. This signals that the gap between Bitcoin-focused and Bitcoin-adjacent companies continued to narrow in 2025.

Growth among Bitcoin-only employers was broadly distributed. The report counted 154 Bitcoin-only companies, each averaging 6 hires.

Bitcoin-Only Companies’ Job Listing Growth. Source: BitvocationRiot Platforms led these firms but held only a modest share. Collectively, the top 10 Bitcoin-only employers saw 122% year-over-year growth.

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“This is a distributed ecosystem. Growth isn’t concentrated in a few giants — it’s spread across mining, lightning network, financial services, and self-custody companies building at sustainable scale,” the report read.

In contrast, hiring at Bitcoin-adjacent companies was concentrated. Bitdeer accounted for almost one-third of all adjacent roles, with 307 postings. The top 10 adjacent firms captured 85% of their segment’s positions.

Meanwhile, non-developer roles accounted for 74% of all positions, up from 69% in 2024. Product Manager ranked highest among non-technical roles.

Bitvocation also observed a sharp increase in director-level hiring, suggesting that companies are expanding their operations. On the technical side, demand was highest for software engineers, particularly at senior levels. According to the report,

“Bitcoin-only companies lean toward mining, media, and design, and hire more at entry and leadership levels. Bitcoin-adjacent companies lead in finance, HR, and engineering, with a preference for senior and mid-level experience.”

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Bitcoin Job Growth Remains US-Led, With Expansion Across AsiaRegionally, the US continued to dominate the Bitcoin job market by a wide margin, hosting more Bitcoin-related roles than all other countries combined. Moreover, Asia also posted strong growth.

Singapore stood out with a 158% increase in Bitcoin-related job postings, driven largely by expansion at a single major employer. Smaller but notable clusters of hiring also emerged in countries such as El Salvador, Bhutan, and Brazil, highlighting how Bitcoin-friendly policies can translate into local job creation.

“The Americas are Bitcoin-only territory. North America leads with 309 Bitcoin-only jobs. Europe and Asia lean Bitcoin-adjacent, with a few exceptions,” Bitvocation noted.

Remote work remained a core feature of the Bitcoin job market in 2025, although its share declined year over year. Of the total job listings, 809 roles, or 45%, were advertised as remote, down from 53% in 2024.

Bitcoin-only companies continued to show a stronger preference for distributed teams, with 56% of their roles offering remote options.

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What Bitcoin Employers Value MostBitcoin employers in 2025 reported that hiring challenges were less about the volume of applicants and more about finding candidates with the right combination of skills, mindset, and ecosystem understanding.

Rather than relying solely on formal credentials or polished resumes, employers increasingly looked for proof of work, such as open-source contributions, community involvement, public writing, or hands-on experience within the Bitcoin ecosystem.

“The hardest roles to fill cluster at two ends: highly specialized technical positions (Bitcoin Core, Lightning, security) and nontechnical roles that require translating Bitcoin’s values into product, growth, operations, or communication,” the report added.

Versatility also emerged as a key theme. Many Bitcoin companies, particularly at earlier stages, favored individuals who could adapt across functions and take on multiple responsibilities.

Strong communication skills and the ability to translate Bitcoin principles into product, operations, growth, or strategy were seen as especially valuable in non-technical roles.

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Cryptocurrency analyst Willy Woo said Monday that fixing quantum computing risks is the most critical step for Bitcoin’s (CRYPTO: BTC) global adoption and its emergence as a major force in macro geopolitics.

Are Investors Hesitant Due To Quantum Uncertainty?In an X post, Woo argued that convincing nations and fiduciary organizations to invest in a “nascent” asset like Bitcoin is difficult. The quantum uncertainty, they added, makes it worse.

“I think the excuse of ‘it’s 20 years away’ does not cut it. The investors looking to allocate think in exactly these time horizons. So, time to get our ducks in a row,” Woo said, referring to estimates of when a computer — powerful enough to decode a Bitcoin public key to find its corresponding private key — becomes a reality.

Woo argued that fixing Bitcoin’s quantum issues is the “single most important thing” for the asset’s growth, given the current scale of buyers.

Can Bitcoin Match Gold’s Reputation?The analyst noted that countries like China are adopting a long-term perspective, spanning 5-15 years, and accumulating gold amid rising geopolitical and economic risks.

“Where the world is heading into, the world needs BTC for what it was designed for. Gold becomes the fallback that’s in a state of readiness, and they are buying,” Woo stated.

Are We Prepared For Quantum Threats Ahead?Woo’s concerns echo those of Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) creator Vitalik Buterin, who called for the swift deployment of quantum-resistant technology for the network, stressing its importance for long-term cryptographic safety.

Moreover, Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN), the biggest cryptocurrency-native company on Wall Street, announced the formation of an advisory board to assess the implications of quantum computing and prepare for “threats,” even those many years away.

Jameson Lopp, Chief Security Officer at self-custody platform firm Casa, said in December that upgrading Bitcoin, which involves migrating funds to a quantum-resistant version, could take up to a decade.

Notably, a report by digital asset management firm Grayscale suggested that quantum computing would not significantly impact cryptocurrency valuations in 2026. The report acknowledged a long-term risk to blockchain cryptography but deemed it unlikely to "meaningfully" influence the market.

Price Action: At the time of writing, BTC was exchanging hands at $88,453.85, up 0.94% in the last 24 hours, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

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Billy Markus, one of the two creators of the original meme cryptocurrency, Dogecoin, is well known on X for his ironic and often even sarcastic opinions and posts.

In today’s tweet, he commented on the current crypto market bloodbath, while silver and gold have been soaring to new all-time highs. These have been reached amid the current geopolitical turmoil.

DOGE creator explains crypto crash while silver and gold are spikingIn his typical and well-recognizable manner, Markus shared his take, using a meme that states: “Just sold my crypto yesterday to buy gold and silver.”

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Posting the meme, he responded to a tweet by The Kobeissi Letter agency. The latter reported that gold and silver managed to erase “$1.7 trillion of market cap in 90 minutes,” calling it “one of the largest reversals in history.”

Overall, according to his multiple earlier tweets, Markus is far from a crypto trading fan, and he views Bitcoin as a speculative asset, which can easily be pushed down by other assets on the market when their prices begin to accelerate.

Between last Monday and this Sunday, the world’s flagship cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, has crashed by nearly 8%, falling from $93,300 to the $86,400 zone. By today, BTC managed to recover by 2.68% and regain $88,720. However, this recovery was followed by a reversal, and Bitcoin has been pushed down to $88,000 again, where it is trading at press time.

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Robert Kiyosaki predicts gold to hit $27,000 in short termRobert Kiyosaki, a prominent investor and Bitcoin advocate, as well as author of the “Rich Dad Poor Dad” book, has recently celebrated the surge in silver and gold prices to new historical highs. The financial guru has been supporting not only Bitcoin, but also these two precious metals, for the past six years, regularly tweeting about them.

GOLD soars over $5000.

Yay!!!!

Future for gold $27,000.

— Robert Kiyosaki (@theRealKiyosaki) January 26, 2026 Last week, Kiyosaki tweeted that he is not bothered about whether the gold, silver or Bitcoin prices are going up or down, since he is certain that the U.S. dollar is dying. He just continues to accumulate more and increase his bet on all three. On Jan. 26, he published a tweet, praising gold soaring above the $5,000 level for the first time in history and predicting that in the future it is likely to reach $27,000 per ounce.

Bitmine has staked more than 2 million ETH, with the potential for more than $160 million in annual staking rewards. Bitmine is scheduled to upgrade its infrastructure, such as the development of a local validator network. Bitmine Immersion Technologies, a publicly traded digital asset treasury management firm, has greatly improved its Ethereum staking offering by staking a total of 2,009,267 ETH worth approximately $5.9 billion. At the standard 2.81% Composite Ethereum Staking Rate (CESR), the staked Ether of the company is expected to generate annual staking revenue of approximately $160 million.

The staking effort is indicative of Bitmine’s move to capitalize on its massive Ethereum holdings, estimated to be in excess of 4.24 million ETH, by engaging in the staking process to earn rewards from the Ethereum proof-of-stake network.

Staking Operations and Revenue Potential Bitmine’s staking operations have contributed to the company’s staked ETH holdings increasing by 171,264 ETH over a recent reporting period, which is a testament to the company’s continued commitment to on-chain activities. Based on CESR data and current ETH prices, the company’s current staking activities have the potential to generate an annualized revenue stream in excess of $160 million. The company’s chairman has also stated that if the Ethereum assets Bitmine are fully staked, the revenue potential could increase substantially, potentially over $374 million per year under the same staking terms.

Apart from the staking operations, Bitmine also reported holding significant liquid assets, including cash of approximately $682 million and 193 Bitcoins, thus totaling approximately $12.8 billion in reported crypto and cash holdings. 

Infrastructure Development and Strategic Expansion In addition to the existing staking facilities, Bitmine is also collaborating with third-party staking facility providers and is developing its own validator infrastructure in the U.S., which is expected to be launched in 2026. 

The infrastructure development projects are in line with Bitmine’s plans to develop its own yield-generating capabilities and improve its presence within the Ethereum decentralized validation infrastructure.

The increasing Ethereum staking activities carried out by Bitmine Immersion Technologies have put the company on the right track to generate substantial annual revenues, estimated to be over $160 million at the current rate, by locking away a substantial portion of its Ether holdings in staking activities. Additionally, the company also has other plans to develop local validator infrastructure and increase its staked holdings.

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Bitcoin Holders Start Selling at a Loss — Could a Major Run Be Near?Bitcoin is displaying patterns that have historically preceded major market moves. Analyst Diana notes that BTC holders are now realizing losses, a classic signal of peak fear and potential smart-money accumulation.

Well, selling at a loss happens when investors offload assets below their purchase price. While it may seem negative, it often signals a potential market rebound because weaker hands exit, creating opportunities for savvy investors to accumulate at discounted levels.

Data shows this pattern last appeared in September 2023, with Bitcoin’s current price being $88,266 per CoinCodex data. Notably, BTC recently dipped below $88,000 following $60 million in long liquidations, as shutdown fears and Trump tariff concerns pressure the market.

Source: CoinCodexDiana highlighted a classic market setup where mass loss realization signals fear, but smart investors see opportunity. Current trends suggest Bitcoin may be nearing this inflection point. Historically, phases of widespread selling at a loss often precede strong bullish momentum, creating potential conditions for the next rally.

Current losses are driven by market volatility, regulatory uncertainty, and macroeconomic pressures, prompting short-term holders to exit. 

Yet these conditions often draw institutional investors who see Bitcoin’s long-term potential. For retail investors, this period underscores the value of patience, panic selling risks missing the next upswing, while strategic accumulation can position one for significant future gains.

Why does this matter? Well, Bitcoin is navigating a classic market cycle since realized losses are spiking, fear is high, and smart money is quietly buying. Historically, such conditions often precede major rallies, as seen after September 2023’s breakout.

CryptoQuant’s NRPL shows losses turning sharply negative, with $4.5B in recent realized losses, while CME gaps target $89,350 and $93,000, hints that BTC could be gearing up for its next bullish surge. The coming weeks may determine if panic selling gives way to renewed upward momentum.

ConclusionThe recent surge of Bitcoin holders selling at a loss signals more than fear, it may hint at opportunity. History shows such sell-offs often precede major rallies, as savvy investors accumulate while weaker hands exit. Therefore, this could mark the start of the next bullish phase, reminiscent of September 2023 as BTC approaches a pivotal moment in its cycle.

Orbs, a Layer 3 blockchain, has announced Gryps has integrated its Perpetual Hub Ultra to bring institutional-grade onchain perpetual futures trading to the Sei Network, expanding access to advanced derivatives infrastructure designed for execution certainty, capital efficiency, and deterministic risk management.

According to the announcement shared with Finbold on January 27, the integration allows Gryps to deploy a fully managed perpetuals stack on Sei using Orbs’ Layer-3 infrastructure alongside Symmio’s smart contract system. 

The setup provides core components such as hedging, liquidation, oracle pricing, and professional trading interfaces, without requiring Gryps to build its own complex backend infrastructure.

Bringing the next evolution of derivatives trading to Se Built specifically for perpetual futures, Gryps is positioned as specialized trading infrastructure rather than a general-purpose DeFi application. Through the integration, users gain access to intent-based execution coordinated by Orbs’ infrastructure, which is designed to optimize capital efficiency and execution certainty, including during periods of market volatility.

“This demonstrates how advanced onchain derivatives infrastructure can be deployed in a way that meets the operational requirements of professional traders,” said Ran Hammer, Chief Business Officer at Orbs. “By integrating Perpetual Hub Ultra, Gryps is able to deliver institutional-grade perpetuals trading on Sei using a modular, turnkey stack that prioritizes execution quality and predictable risk.”

Orbs said Perpetual Hub Ultra builds on earlier versions of its Perpetual Hub already live across several decentralized trading venues. The Ultra version extends these capabilities by allowing platforms to route liquidity from both onchain and offchain sources, including centralized exchanges, while keeping settlement and execution onchain.

The integration supports Orbs’ turnkey perpetuals infrastructure, aimed at helping decentralized venues compete with centralized exchanges on performance and user experience while remaining fully onchain.

Featured image via Shutterstock. 

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Posted: January 27, 2026

Tether continued its gold buying spree in late 2025, driven by macro uncertainty and growing demand for safe‑haven assets. According to its latest transparency report, the world’s largest stablecoin issuer purchased 27 metric tons of gold in Q4 2025.

This was nearly the same amount of gold as it acquired in Q3, 2025. In fact, its 2025 buying spree rivaled demand from central banks, as the metal crossed new highs and broke key psychological levels. 

In 2025, gold posted a 64% gain and is up another 17% so far in 2026, crossing the $5000 mark for the first time. 

Source: Gold price, TradingView 

This explosive run has also driven retail demand for tokenized gold, with the Tether gold [XAUT] market supply growing over 3x from $600 million to $ 1.8 billion by the end of 2025. 

In early 2026, Tether Gold’s market cap rose to $2.24 billion, up 26% in January alone, further underscoring investors’ interest in the tokenized gold. The firm’s aggressive demand for gold is used to back issued XAUT tokens on a 1:1 basis, the report noted.  

Commenting on the report, Tether’s CEO Paolo Ardoino said,

“Through Tether Gold, we are operating at a scale that now places the Tether Gold Investment Fund alongside sovereign gold holders, and that carries real responsibility.”

Ardoino added that XAUT exists to ‘remove ambiguity’ as confidence in monetary systems weakens and is put to a stress test by institutions and people. 

That said, the tokenized gold boom has also seen Tether’s market share trimmed by nearly 10%. According to CoinGecko data, Tether gold held nearly 60% market dominance as of November 2026. 

However, in early 2026, Tether Gold’s market share had dropped to 50% ($2.6 billion), while Pax Gold, the second-largest tokenized gold, had a 40% market share. 

Source: CoinGecko

Kinesis Gold appeared to be the rising star that has eaten into most of the market share. Its dominance rose from zero in November to nearly 8% as of early 2026. 

Meanwhile, the tokenized gold market has surpassed $5.2 billion and could grow further if geopolitical tensions and macro uncertainty drive physical gold prices higher.

Final Thoughts Tether added 27 tons of gold in Q4 2025, nearly the same amount bought in Q3, as the commodity extends its bull run into 2026.  However, Tether Gold has lost 10% of its market share amid the tokenized gold boom

Asset manager VanEck has brought to the U.S. market the first exchange-traded fund (ETF) offering spot exposure to Avalanche’s native token, AVAX.

VanEck Debuts America’s First AVAX-Based ETF According to Monday’s announcement, VanEck’s ETF began trading on the Nasdaq on Monday under the ticker symbol VAVX. 

The company touted VAVX as “the first and currently the only (as of January 26, 2026) U.S.-listed ETP focused on providing investors with exposure to the price return and potential staking rewards of Avalanche’s native token, AVAX.”

The fund offers investors exposure to spot AVAX token performance, all while generating returns through staking. VanEck said it will waive sponsor fees on the ETF’s first $500 million in assets until Feb. 28. Afterwards, the fund will charge a management fee of 0.2%.

Avalanche is an open-source blockchain network launched by Ava Labs in 2020 for decentralized applications and smart contracts. The platform aims to improve existing crypto scalability, interoperability, and usability. 

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VanEck Director of Digital Assets Kyle DaCruz said Avalanche is unique in that it can link traditional finance and blockchain, in a statement. “Avalanche’s architecture is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the on-chain economy, focusing on verifiable, real-world utility,”  VanEck Director of Digital Assets Product Kyle DaCruz posited.

Avalanche’s AVAX is currently the 33rd-largest cryptocurrency with a market cap of $5.06 billion, according to CoinGecko data. The layer-1 network token is a staggering 91.9% away from its November 2021 all-time high of $144.96 and down around 68% over the past year.

VanEck first applied to launch an Avalanche ETF in March 2025, when it submitted an S-1 registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Nasdaq then followed with the necessary paperwork in April 2025, seeking the greenlight to list and trade the proposed Avalanche ETF, a key step before the product could go live on Wall Street.

Notably, VAVX is not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. However, it may be subject to other US securities laws.

Altcoin ETF Momentum Builds Institutional demand for altcoins has risen steadily in recent months, with crypto ETF activity now rapidly expanding beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum amid a perceived pro-crypto regulatory environment under President Trump. 

The fund’s launch positions AVAX squarely alongside other major-cap altcoins, including Ripple’s XRP, Solana (SOL), and Dogecoin (DOGE), which all have their own spot ETFs trading on US exchanges.

Since Paul Atkins officially took over as the Chairman of the SEC in April, the Commission has taken steps to provide clarity for digital assets, as well as approved new generic listing standards that have opened a faster route for crypto ETFs.

XRP hovers on key support as Bloomberg’s McGlone warns of a breakdown while CryptoBull bets on a long consolidation before a major upside breakout.

Summary

McGlone warns that a sustained close below long-held XRP support could spark sharper declines and invalidate bullish calls.​ The correction from the November 2025 rally frames support as a critical line, even as a bounce could open a short-term recovery path.​ CryptoBull argues XRP is mirroring its previous bull run, needing extended consolidation at prior highs before a powerful breakout. Bloomberg Senior Commodities Strategist Mike McGlone has issued a warning regarding XRP’s (XRP) price trajectory, citing the potential for the cryptocurrency to fall below a critical support level, according to statements attributed to the analyst.

The warning comes as a broader correction wave continues across the cryptocurrency market. XRP is currently trading near a key support level, making its price movements a focal point for market participants, according to market observers.

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— QUANTUM FINANCIAL SYSTEM QFS (@qfsofficialnews) January 26, 2026 McGlone stated that a retest of the support level is imminent, emphasizing that a sustained close below it would invalidate bullish price predictions and could lead to further declines. The analyst noted the level has served as reliable support since the November 2025 rally.

The Bloomberg analyst, who has previously issued warnings about Bitcoin potentially falling to $10,000, predicted that sharper declines may be on the horizon for XRP as the correction trend that began in October continues.

In a bearish scenario for XRP, the support level remains important, while a bounce above higher resistance could signal a short-term recovery toward higher targets, according to the analysis.

An analyst using the pseudonym CryptoBull offered a contrasting view, noting that XRP was consolidating around its previous all-time highs. The analyst stated the price pattern is replicating the previous bull run.

CryptoBull said a longer accumulation period is needed for higher prices, predicting that XRP could consolidate around its previous high for an extended period before experiencing a major upward breakout. The analyst added that subsequent waves of momentum could take XRP to higher levels.

XRP’s price remained near recent levels at the time of the original report.

Hyperliquid (HYPE) price went parabolic on Tuesday, driven by a surge in commodities trading volume on the platform.

Summary

Hyperliquid price rose nearly 23% over the past day. The rally was driven by a surge in commodities trading volume, especially Silver perpetual futures on the platform. A confirmed falling wedge pattern signals more potential upside ahead. According to data from crypto.news, Hyperliquid (HYPE) shot up 23% to nearly a three-week high of $27 on Tuesday afternoon Asian time. At this price, it remains 31% above its lowest point this week.

The major catalyst driving the HYPE price can be attributed to a rapid adoption of HIP-3, a major proposal that went live in mid-October last year. It allows anyone to launch perpetual futures contracts for a wide range of assets beyond typical cryptocurrencies, including commodities (gold and silver), US stocks, and indices, provided they have 500K HYPE staked on the network to deploy the contract.

In a Jan. 26 X post, the Hyperliquid team noted that open interest on the platforms running the upgrade had hit an all-time high of $790 million on Monday, a significant feat compared to the $260 million recorded just a month ago.

Commodities trading volume has surged on Hyperliquid as gold and silver take center stage, drawing in traders looking for a decentralized hedge against the current ‘risk-off’ global climate.

Even with a lackluster backdrop for major cryptocurrencies, Hyperliquid’s commodity offerings have created a distinct growth pocket, effectively insulated from the wider market malaise.

According to recent reports, the Silver (SILVER-USDC) contract has become one of the most active markets on the platform, ranking just behind Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) in trading volume, with cumulative volumes nearing $1 billion.

Surges in Hyperliquid trading volume, particularly within HIP-3 markets like Silver, create a direct deflationary tailwind for the HYPE token via the protocol’s automated buyback and burn mechanism.

The platform funnels 97% of all trading fees (from both the original and new HIP-3 markets) into an Assistance Fund that automatically buys HYPE tokens on the open market. The network has repurchased tokens worth over $44 million in the last 30 days.

Furthermore, if these fees are paid in HYPE tokens, they are automatically burned, permanently reducing the supply. 

On top of this, as more perpetual contracts launch on the platform, more HYPE tokens are staked to meet the staking cap, which further reduces the total circulating supply.

Against this backdrop, whales have also started to accumulate HYPE. Data from analytics platform Onchain Lens shows that over $10 million in HYPE had exited exchanges over the past 24 hours, specifically via Galaxy Digital OTC transfers.

Hyperliquid price analysis Hyperliquid price has broken out of a multi-month falling wedge pattern on the daily chart. A confirmed falling wedge pattern occurs when the price breaks from the upper trendline of the formation and is one of the most common bullish reversal signals in technical analysis.

Hyperliquid price has confirmed a falling wedge pattern on the daily chart — Jan. 27 | Source: crypto.news The MACD indicator had completed a bullish crossover, which is considered a common trend reversal signal. Simultaneously, the RSI has bounced off neutral levels to 60, which confirms renewed buyer interest while suggesting the rally has room for growth before hitting overbought territory.

Hence, HYPE price would likely continue to see sustained upside toward the $40 target. This level is calculated by projecting the height of the preceding pattern onto the breakout point. Notably, this target sits approximately 48% above current prices and converges with a major psychological resistance level.

On the contrary, a drop below last week’s low of $20 seen would invalidate the bullish forecast.

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

Item 1 of 3 European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose during a photo opportunity ahead of their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, January 27, 2026. REUTERS/Altaf Hussain

[1/3]European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose during a photo opportunity ahead of their meeting at the... Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Read more

SummaryCompaniesIndia-EU deal to reduce tariffs on nearly 97% of EU exportsIndia's tariffs on EU cars to fall sharply to 10% over yearsEU to cut tariffs on 99.5% of Indian goodsTrade pact to save European firms 4 billion euros in dutiesAgreement opens vast and guarded Indian market to EU firmsNEW DELHI, Jan 27 (Reuters) - India and the European Union have finalised a long-pending landmark trade deal, both sides said on Tuesday, as they seek to hedge against fickle ties with the U.S.

The deal is expected to double EU exports to India by 2032 by eliminating or reducing tariffs in 96.6% of traded goods by value, and will lead to savings of 4 billion euros ($4.75 billion) in duties for European companies, the EU said.

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The EU will cut tariffs on 99.5% goods traded over seven years, with tariffs to be cut to zero on Indian marine goods, leather and textile products, chemicals, rubber, base metals and gems and jewellery, India's trade ministry said in a statement.

"Yesterday, a big agreement was signed between the European Union and India," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said earlier.

"People around the world are calling this the mother of all deals. This agreement will bring major opportunities for the 1.4 billion people of India and the millions of people in Europe," he said.

The accord would open up India's vast and highly guarded market, with New Delhi slashing tariffs on cars to 10% over five years from as high as 110%, according to an EU statement, benefiting European automakers such as Volkswagen, Renault, Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

India is also slashing tariffs on alcoholic beverages like wines to 75% immediately from 150%, which would be lowered to 20% gradually. Tariffs on spirits will be lowered to 40%, the EU said.

The deal will also cut tariffs on a slew of EU goods coming to India including machinery, electrical equipment, chemicals and iron and steel, the EU said.

"Europe and India are making history today," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on social media. "This is only the beginning."

Trade between India and the EU stood at $136.5 billion in the fiscal year through March 2025.

The formal signing of the India-EU deal would take place after legal vetting expected to last five to six months, an Indian government official aware of the matter has said.

"We expect the deal to be implemented within a year," the official added.

FLURRY OF TRADE DEALSThe agreement comes days after the EU signed a pivotal pact with the South American bloc Mercosur, following deals last year with Indonesia, Mexico and Switzerland.

During the same period, New Delhi finalised pacts with Britain, New Zealand and Oman.

The spate of deals underscores global efforts to hedge against trade with the United States as President Donald Trump's bid to take over Greenland and tariff threats on European nations test longstanding alliances among Western nations.

An India-U.S. trade deal collapsed last year after a breakdown in communications between their two governments.

Talks between India and the EU were relaunched in 2022 after a nine-year lull, and gathered momentum after Trump put tariffs on several trading partners, including a 50% tariff on goods from India.

For India, the tariff cuts with the EU will lead to more exports in labour intensive sectors that will help partly offset the impact of U.S. tariffs, said Ajay Srivastava, a former Indian trade official.

He said the deal will also give an immediate price advantage for EU products in India because of relief from its high tariffs, for instance up to 110% on cars.

($1 = 0.8422 euros)

Reporting by Shivangi Acharya and Manoj Kumar, Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan

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Manoj Kumar is a Senior Economics Correspondent based in New Delhi. He covers macroeconomy with a focus on India's economic policies for manufacturing, trade and the rural economy. He has written on a broad range of topics including India's annual budgets, taxation, inflation, youth unemployment, protests and the impact of government policies on people. Previously, he worked with the PTI news agency and The Tribune newspaper covering ministries of finance, commerce & industry, and petroleum besides parliament.

Now that artificial intelligence platforms are proven and refined, the world needs a way of making it readily accessible to all prospective users.

As much as the artificial intelligence (AI) industry has grown just since the late-2022 launch of ChatGPT, it's still only a fraction of what it's likely to become.

Analysts with Cathie Wood's Ark Invest family of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) predict spending on AI infrastructure -- data centers, mostly -- is set to soar from last year's $500 billion to $1.4 trillion in 2030, jibing with an outlook from JPMorgan. That's annualized growth of more than 20%, offering investors an opportunity that's just too good to pass up.

But which stocks are best positioned to benefit from the industry's expansion? Probably not AI chipmaker Nvidia or its hardware peers; their very highest-growth days are arguably behind them. From here, it's the names building these AI data centers with the most to gain.

With that as the backdrop, here are three to consider adding to your portfolio this year.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Vertiv Vertiv (VRT 0.69%) isn't a data center stock per se. But data centers of the future will look considerably different -- for the better -- than they do now because of this company.

In short, Vertiv helps AI data centers handle the massive amount of heat their equipment creates.

It's always been a problem for any computer equipment, initially solved with simple fans and adequate air conditioning. As computing processors and racks of tethered motherboards have become more powerful and densely packed, their heat output increasingly risks permanent damage to this equipment. That's why Global Market Insights predicts the worldwide data center cooling market is set to grow at an average pace of more than 10% per year through 2034, led by the liquid-cooling solutions of the business, according to an outlook from Precedence Research.

This projection plays right into the heart of Vertiv's portfolio of offerings. Although it offers a range of conventional HVAC-style solutions, its flagship profit center is liquid cooling. Indeed, just earlier this month it unveiled a new modular liquid-cooling solution (called the MegaMod HDX) that combines direct-to-chip liquid cooling with air-cooled architectures, providing the flexibility that more and more data center operators want.

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Cooling isn't all Vertiv does, for the record. The company also offers a range of power-management solutions like battery storage and distribution solutions that are also incredibly efficient, putting the company squarely in a business that Precedence expects to swell from less than $9 billion per year now to more than $16 billion in 2035.

In other words, Vertiv is very much in the right place at the right time. That's why its top line is up nearly 30% through the first three quarters of 2025, with profits more than doubling during this stretch. Look for more of the same going forward.

2. Digital Realty Trust Digital Realty Trust (DLR +1.51%) isn't growing nearly as quickly as Vertiv is. But that's OK. Owning Digital Realty Trust provides you with a stake in a company that's not only smack-dab in the middle of the AI infrastructure industry but also gives you a holding that serves a considerably different purpose for its shareholders.

See, Digital Realty Trust is a real estate investment trust, or REIT for short. That just means it owns revenue-bearing real estate like hotels, office buildings, apartment complexes, or in this case, data centers. These recurring rent payments are ultimately turned into dividends.

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As of the latest count, Digital Realty Trust owns and operates more than 300 different facilities in more than 50 different cities, and serves more than 250 Fortune 500 companies. That's enough to generate nearly $1.6 billion in revenue during the three-month stretch ending in September, up about 10% year over year, extending a long-established growth trend. This company boasts 20 consecutive years of top-line growth, in fact.

This growth isn't the crux of the reason you might want to own a piece of this AI infrastructure name, however. It helps, to be sure. But the chief feature of this REIT is its aforementioned dividend, which has grown steadily (even if modestly) for decades, offering an income component to an investment in an industry that isn't exactly known for paying dividends. Newcomers would be plugging into it while Digital Realty Trust's forward-looking yield stands at a solid 3.1%.

3. Nebius Group Finally, add Nebius Group (NBIS 3.22%) to your list of AI infrastructure stocks to buy if you want to cash in on the industry's brewing growth.

Of the three names in focus here, it's the most straightforward. This company owns several data centers built specifically for AI developers. It's also the riskiest of the three tickers in question, however. Despite its third-quarter, year-over-year top-line growth of 355% to $146 million, its loss grew from nearly $44 million in Q3 2024 to a loss of nearly $120 million for the three-month stretch ending in September of last year. Nebius' bottom line seems to be moving in the wrong direction -- because it is.

These are mostly just growing pains. Business and profits are waiting for this data center specialist even if it's not perfectly clear when the company will get over its profit hump.

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This assurance lies in one of its more recent (and biggest-so-far) deals made in September with none other than Microsoft. While the specifics of the agreement weren't disclosed, the company was able to confirm a multibillion-dollar, multiyear deal to provide the software giant with AI infrastructure services from Nebius' facility in Vineland, New Jersey.

It's noteworthy simply because Microsoft could have easily built such a facility for itself or chosen any other number of AI infrastructure service providers. It still selected Nebius. There's a reason even if it's not entirely clear what that reason is.

Shares of course soared following the news. But in the absence of anything quite as exciting to continue fanning those bullish flames, those shares have withered since then.

The few analysts covering this name aren't deterred, though. Most of this small crowd still considers NBIS a strong buy, with a consensus target of $158.50 that's nearly 70% above the ticker's present price. Just bear in mind that while there's a bullish tailwind here, Nebius is also likely to dish out more volatility than most of the other names in the AI data center space.

For Immediate ReleasesChicago, IL – January 27, 2026 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) , Lenovo (LNVGY - Free Report) , Hewlett Packard (HPE - Free Report) and Dell Technologies (DELL - Free Report) .

Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:Microsoft Stock Before Fiscal Q2 Earnings: Buy Now or Wait for Results?Microsoft is slated to report second-quarter fiscal 2026 results on Jan. 28.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $80.23 billion, indicating growth of 15.22% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.

The consensus mark for earnings has remained steady at $3.88 per share over the past 30 days, suggesting 20.12% year-over-year growth.

MSFT's Earnings Surprise HistoryIn the last reported quarter, the company delivered an earnings surprise of 13.15%. The company’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 8.53%.

Microsoft Corporation price-eps-surprise | Microsoft Corporation Quote

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

MSFT has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Factors Shaping MSFT’s Upcoming Q2 ResultsMicrosoft's fiscal second-quarter 2026 results are likely to be supported by accelerated AI agent adoption, strengthened product positioning following Microsoft Ignite 2025, and robust enterprise demand across its cloud and productivity segments during the October-December 2025 period.

Microsoft projected revenues between $33.3 billion and $33.6 billion for Productivity and Business Processes, representing growth of 11% to 12%, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate indicating 13.8% year-over-year growth to $33.4 billion.

Within this segment, Microsoft 365 commercial cloud revenue growth is expected to be between 13% and 14% in constant currency (cc). The segment is expected to have benefited from continued E5 suite adoption and accelerating Copilot deployment.

The landmark Microsoft Ignite 2025 conference held in November represented a pivotal moment for the company's AI strategy. The introduction of Work IQ, the intelligence layer enabling Microsoft 365 Copilot to understand individual users, their roles, and company-specific context, represented a significant advancement in personalization capabilities. Agent Mode launched within Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in November, enabling users to work iteratively with Copilot to create high-quality documents, spreadsheets, and presentations through AI-powered collaboration.

The bundling of Microsoft Security Copilot with Microsoft 365 E5 licenses, which began rolling out on Nov. 18, provided substantial added value to enterprise customers. E5 subscribers received 400 Security Compute Units monthly for every 1,000 user licenses, along with access to 12 new Microsoft-built agents across Defender, Entra, Intune, and Purview.

The launch of Microsoft 365 Copilot Business on Dec. 1 addressed the small and medium business market at $21 per user monthly for companies with fewer than 300 users, with bundled offerings and promotional campaigns potentially stimulating year-end purchasing activity.

The general availability of SQL Server 2025, announced at Ignite and available for Cloud Solution Provider partners beginning Dec. 17, featured near-real-time data mirroring into OneLake and enhanced capabilities, including GitHub Copilot integration within SQL development tools.

LinkedIn revenues are expected to grow approximately 10%, while Dynamics 365 revenue growth is projected to be in the mid to high teens, with continued growth across all workloads.

The Intelligent Cloud segment is likely to have remained capacity-constrained during the quarter despite aggressive data center expansion. Management projected revenues between $30.9 billion and $31.2 billion, representing growth of 25% to 26%, with Azure revenue growth expected to be 36% in cc. The consensus mark for this segment is pegged at $32.4 billion, indicating growth of 26.9% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.

The Microsoft Ignite announcements substantially enhanced Azure's enterprise AI positioning. The introduction of Agent 365 provided a control plane for managing and securing AI agents, addressing critical governance requirements. The unveiling of the IQ Stack architecture, including Foundry IQ and Fabric IQ, represented a fundamental advancement in providing AI agents with reliable, permission-aware knowledge and real-time business context.

Azure AI Foundry received substantial enhancements enabling organizations to build, train, deploy, and manage custom agents with enterprise-grade capabilities. The commercial remaining performance obligation of $392 billion reported in the prior quarter continued to provide substantial visibility into future revenue streams.

For the on-premises server business, Microsoft expects revenues to decline in the low to mid-single digits with ongoing customer shift to cloud offerings.

Microsoft projected More Personal Computing revenues between $13.4 billion and $13.8 billion for the quarter, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate indicating a 2.6% year-over-year decline to $14.2 billion.

According to the preliminary results from the International Data Corporation Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker, fourth-quarter 2025 worldwide PC shipments reached 76.4 million units, up 9.6% year over year. The competitive landscape shows strong results, with Lenovo, Hewlett Packard and Dell Technologies achieving 14.4%, 12.1% and 18.2% shipment growth, respectively.

Microsoft’s Windows OEM and Devices revenues are expected to have declined in the mid-single digits percent overall, with Windows OEM revenues specifically expected to decline in the low to mid-single digits.

Gaming faced challenging comparisons, with Xbox content and services revenues expected to decline in the low to mid-single digits against strong prior-year performance. However, platform enhancements, including Gaming Copilot availability on mobile devices in November and Xbox Cloud Gaming expansion into India, strengthened competitive positioning.

Search and news advertising ex-TAC revenues are likely to have grown in the low double digits, with AI-powered capabilities enhancing user engagement and monetization.

MSFT Price Performance & Stock ValuationShares of MSFT have declined 7.9% in the past six-month period compared with the broader Zacks Computer & Technology sector’s growth of 15.8%. Shares of HPE have gained 1.4%, while LNVGY and DELL have lost 12.7% and 9.3%, respectively.

Now, let’s look at the value Microsoft offers investors at current levels. MSFT is trading at a premium with a forward 12-month P/S of 9.84X compared with the Zacks Computer - Software industry’s 8.65X, reflecting a stretched valuation.

Investment ThesisMicrosoft represents a compelling buy opportunity ahead of fiscal second-quarter 2026 results despite premium valuation, as the company's dominant positioning in enterprise AI transformation justifies current multiples. The landmark Ignite 2025 announcements — Work IQ, Agent 365, and the IQ Stack — positioned Microsoft as the comprehensive platform for agentic business models, driving accelerated adoption across its $392 billion backlog. Expected Azure growth of 36% in cc, sustained Microsoft 365 Copilot momentum enhanced by Security Copilot bundling with E5 licenses, and the Windows 11 upgrade cycle supporting PC market strength create multiple expanding revenue streams. While competition exists, Microsoft's integrated ecosystem spanning productivity, cloud infrastructure, AI development tools, and security capabilities establishes unmatched competitive moats that warrant premium positioning for long-term investors.

ConclusionMicrosoft's fiscal second-quarter 2026 results are positioned to demonstrate AI leadership transformation into financial performance. Accelerating Azure growth, expanding Copilot adoption enhanced by Work IQ and Agent 365, robust enterprise demand, and strengthening competitive moats create compelling upside. Investors may buy shares ahead of earnings, as Microsoft's platform strategy positions the company for sustained growth despite premium valuation and competition.

Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.

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Note: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Previewreports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>>

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Zacks Investment Research

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance  for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

For Immediate ReleasesChicago, IL – January 27, 2026 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog includeRigetti Computing (RGTI - Free Report) , D-Wave Quantum (QBTS - Free Report) and IonQ (IONQ - Free Report) .

Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:Will Strategic Partnerships Help Rigetti Reach Quantum Scale Faster?Rigetti Computing is steadily carving out a differentiated position by tying its quantum hardware more closely to AI supercomputing and public-sector research ecosystems. Rather than building in isolation, the company is plugging its processors into hybrid computing environments where classical and quantum systems work side by side. A key move here is support for NVIDIA’s NVQLink platform, which allows fast, low-latency connections between Rigetti’s quantum processors and AI supercomputers. From an investor’s standpoint, this is important because hybrid quantum-classical workflows are widely seen as the most practical route to near-term quantum value, long before fully fault-tolerant machines become a reality.

Beyond commercial partnerships, Rigetti is also leaning heavily into academic and government collaborations to reinforce both innovation and talent development. Michigan State University recently became the first academic institution to operate an on-premises Rigetti system, giving researchers direct, hands-on access to its quantum hardware. At the same time, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with India’s C-DAC to explore joint development of hybrid quantum systems, application workflows, and workforce pipelines. Taken together, these initiatives broaden Rigetti’s global reach, seed early user communities around its technology, and reduce commercialization risk by aligning product development with real research and enterprise needs from the outset.

The importance of these partnerships becomes clearer when viewed in the context of RGTI’s 2026–2027 development roadmap. Management is aiming to roll out a 150+ qubit system by late 2026 with roughly 99.7% two-qubit gate fidelity, followed by a 1,000+ qubit platform around 2027 with fidelity approaching 99.8%. While increasing qubit counts is technically demanding, the tougher challenge lies in turning that hardware into systems that can be reliably used.

RGTI’s collaboration-driven strategy helps address this by enabling early validation and real-world testing, increasing the chances that its roadmap milestones evolve into scalable, commercially meaningful quantum platforms rather than remaining purely technical achievements.

Peers UpdatesD-Wave Quantum continues to build momentum through application-led partnerships across commercial and research customers, including a major U.S. airline, SkyWater, Japan Tobacco’s pharma unit, Yapi Kredi and multiple global universities. The company is also collaborating on real-world hybrid use cases, such as manufacturing optimization with BASF and a successful proof-of-technology with North Wales Police for incident response deployment. These engagements underscore QBTS’s focus on near-term utility and recurring usage through practical quantum applications.

IonQ has been broadening its partnership footprint across both national-level infrastructure and real-world commercial applications. Through its ID Quantique subsidiary, the company helped deploy Slovakia’s first national quantum communications network, strengthening cybersecurity capabilities and tying IonQ more closely to Europe’s expanding quantum digital framework.

On the commercial front, IonQ also formed an investment and technology partnership with Canada-based CCRM aimed at speeding up the use of quantum and quantum-AI tools in regenerative medicine. This collaboration places IonQ’s systems closer to advanced drug discovery and therapy development workflows, reinforcing the company’s push to embed its technology into high-impact, next-generation healthcare applications.

Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.

Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.

See Stocks Free >>

Note: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Previewreports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>>

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

[email protected]                                     

https://www.zacks.com                                                 

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance  for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

A combination could create the world's largest mining company with a market value of more than $200 billion and the industry's biggest copper business

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SummaryIn the second half of 2025, we sold our positions in Protector (PSKRF), Ryanair and Alimak.Our lowest return investment was Standard Drilling ASA (1.2x money/8% 2yr IRR) and our best result was in Protector Forsikring (3.6x money/50% 6yr IRR).As of the date of this letter, our three largest positions make up 37% of our capital and our five largest make up 57% of the portfolio.Highwood Value Partners Inc. is a Portfolio Manager regulated by the BC, Alberta and Ontario Securities Commissions. The firm was founded in 2018 by Desmond Kingsford to pursue outstanding investment returns for its clients by employing a fundamental value-oriented investment strategy with an opportunistic, concentrated and long-term approach. The firm is founded on the values of alignment of interests with clients, diligence, humility and self-improvement. Highwood Value Partners manages capital for qualifying investors in certain jurisdictions on a Separately Managed Account (“SMA”) basis. Note: This account is not managed or monitored Highwood Value Partners, and any messages sent via Seeking Alpha will not receive a response. For inquiries or communication, please use Highwood Value Partners' official channels.

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SummaryHighwood Value Partners is 83% invested in the shares of 11 companies, we employ no leverage and the companies we own are well capitalised (net cash balance sheets on average).Burford Capital makes money by funding select commercial litigation claims in exchange for a share of the settlement or court awarded judgement and by generating fees on third party capital.Borr’s fundamentals initially improved faster than my expectations, then fell back and are now in line with my initial underwriting of the case.GetBusy, which is the key value driver, has grown revenue organically at a 15% CAGR over the past 4 years, slightly better than my initial expectations.