Market Signal Briefing

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

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

Boeing is set to report this week that it delivered the most airplanes since 2018 last year after it stabilized its production, the clearest sign of a turnaround yet after years of safety crises and snowballing quality defects.

Now, the aerospace giant is planning to ramp up production.

"It's a long road back from a ... shall we say, a rather dysfunctional culture, but they're making big progress," said Richard Aboulafia, managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, an aerospace industry consulting firm.

Boeing was forced to scale back production in recent years following two fatal crashes of its popular 737 Max aircraft in 2018 and 2019 and a midair blowout of a door plug from one of its planes in the first week of 2024. The Covid pandemic snarled airplane assembly at both Boeing and its chief rival, Airbus, with supply chain delays and loss of experienced workers, even after the worst of the health crisis subsided.

Boeing's leaders, including CEO Kelly Ortberg — a longtime aerospace executive who came out of retirement to take the top job months after the midair door plug accident — are gearing up to increase production this year of its cash cow 737 Max aircraft and the longer-range 787 Dreamliners.

That could help the manufacturer, the top U.S. exporter by value, return to profitability, as analysts expect this year, territory that was out of reach for seven years as its leaders focused on damage control and were stuck reassuring frustrated airline executives who were awaiting late planes.

Their tone has changed as Boeing has become more predictable and increased production, with the Federal Aviation Administration's blessing. In a sign of the FAA's increased confidence in Boeing, the agency in September said Boeing could issue its own air worthiness certificates before customers receive some of its 737s and 787s after years of restrictions.

Boeing's commercial aircraft business is its largest unit, accounting for about 46% of sales in the first nine months of last year, with the rest coming from its defense and services business. Boeing last reported a full-year profit in 2018.

Investors are optimistic for further improvement. Boeing shares have gained 36% over the last 12 months, outpacing the S&P 500's nearly 20% advance.

"Boeing is definitely better and more stable," said Bob Jordan, CEO of all-Boeing airline Southwest Airlines, in an interview Dec. 10.

The company is scheduled to outline its production plans for 2026 later this month when it reports quarterly results on Jan. 27.

Getting into gearFor Boeing, the recent turnaround has taken place largely on the assembly floor.

Under Ortberg, the manufacturer has slashed so-called traveled work, in which assembly tasks are done out of order, to avoid costly mistakes. The company has made other manufacturing changes, as well, including added training.

The National Transportation Safety Board in June said inadequate training and management oversight had been among the problems at the company, according to its investigation into what led to the door plug blowout in January 2024.

On Dec. 8, Boeing also completed its acquisition of fuselage maker Spirit AeroSystems, which Boeing had spun out of the company two decades ago. It now has more direct control of the crucial supplier.

Moving out jetsBoeing handed over 537 aircraft in the first 11 months of last year. It reports December deliveries on Tuesday, but Jefferies estimates the company delivered 61 commercial jets last month, 44 of them Boeing's bestseller, the 737 Max.

Boeing delivered 348 aircraft in 2024 and 528 in 2023. Last year's total would still be far off the 806 airplanes it handed over in 2018.

Last October, the FAA raised its production cap on Boeing's 737 Max from 38 a month to 42. (The FAA required its sign-off after the door plug accident.) CFO Jay Malave said at a UBS conference on Dec. 2 that he expects the company to get to that rate in early 2026. Ortberg told investors in October that further rate increases are on the table, in increments of five planes.

Handovers to airlines in 2026 will likely be new production, compared with clearing out older inventory, Malave had said. Boeing is also likely to produce about eight Dreamliners a month as of early this year, he added.

Deliveries are key for airplane makers, because airlines and other customers pay the bulk of an airplane's price when they receive the aircraft. Boeing's chief competitor, Airbus, is scheduled to report 2025 orders and deliveries on Monday.

Still, several planes that were expected to already flying passengers aren't certified yet, including the Boeing 777X as well as the Max 7 and Max 10 variants, depriving Boeing of cash and driving up costs.

Southwest is awaiting the delayed Max 7, the smallest plane of the Max family. The model is important for airline routes that have lower demand so airlines can avoid oversupplying the market with seats, pushing down fares.

Southwest CEO Jordan last month said that he doesn't expect the airline to fly the Max 7 before the first half of 2027 as Boeing certification work continues. Boeing at one point expected it to enter service in 2019.

"They're still very short in terms of delivering the aircraft that we need, but I'm glad to see the progress on the Max 7," Jordan told CNBC.

watch now

Robust demandOrders for both Boeing and Airbus jets look solid, with demand set to continue outstripping supply into the next decade, Bernstein aerospace analyst Douglas Harned said in a note last week.

Airbus outpaced Boeing in deliveries last year, though Boeing appears to have outsold its European competitor in new orders.

Through November, Boeing logged 1,000 gross orders compared with 797 from Airbus. Airline customers have started to look beyond this decade, snagging delivery slots into the mid-2030s as they plot out growth and international expansions.

On Wednesday, Alaska Airlines said it is ordering 105 Boeing 737 Max 10 jets, the longest aircraft of the Max group. Alaska fleet chief Shane Jones told CNBC the order is a sign of "our confidence in the Max 10 certification" as well as "our confidence in Boeing and their turnaround and their ability to produce quality aircraft on time."

Alaska also exercised options for five 787 Dreamliners for more international routes just over a year after it acquired Hawaiian Airlines — a combination that handed Alaska more Dreamliners and Airbus A330s to reach for destinations that it couldn't get to before, like Japan, South Korea and Italy.

The wide-body aircraft market is now picking up steam, said Ron Epstein, aerospace analyst at Bank of America, with orders starting to get handed over faster to customers.

Read more CNBC airline newsWhy airline class wars will intensify in 2026American Airlines no longer lets basic economy flyers earn milesArchitect of Delta's premium strategy to retire in FebruaryFrontier Airlines replaces longtime CEO Barry Biffle with carrier's presidentInternational travel, especially at the high end, has been particularly strong in the years after the pandemic as travelers splash out on vacations around the world. More and more global airlines are looking at snagging long-haul jets like Boeing's Dreamliner and Airbus' A330 and A350s for the coming years, heating up the wide-body airplane market, analysts said.

Globally, airplanes flew nearly 84% full in November, the highest level on record, according to the latest data available from the International Air Transport Association, an airline industry group.

With travel demand still robust, orders to replace older jets and secure new ones will continue to fuel growth.

"The magic, if you will, of air transportation is until somebody comes up with a transporter, you know, [like] 'Star Trek,' where you sort of vaporize and show up someplace else, we're going to be flying," Epstein said.

Explore how differences in fees, yield, and fund history may influence your choice between these two leading U.S. REIT ETFs.

This comparison looks at two popular real estate investment trust (REIT) exchange-traded funds: the Schwab U.S. REIT ETF (SCHH +0.33%) and the State Street SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF (RWR +0.11%).

Both aim to provide broad exposure to the U.S. REIT market, but cost, yield, recent performance, and portfolio construction may influence which is more suitable for investors seeking real estate sector diversification.

Snapshot (cost & size)MetricSCHHRWRIssuerSchwabSPDRExpense ratio0.07%0.25%1-yr return (as of Jan. 10, 2026)2.13%2.43%Dividend yield3.04%3.78%AUM$8.8 billion$1.7 billionBeta (5Y monthly)1.181.19Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months.

RWR comes with a higher annual fee than SCHH. However, the trade-off is a more generous dividend yield, which may appeal to income-focused investors willing to pay more for a higher payout.

Performance & risk comparisonMetricSCHHRWRGrowth of $1,000 over 5 years$1,141$1,180Max drawdown (5Y)-33.26%-32.56%What's insideRWR tracks a basket of 102 U.S. REITs, focusing exclusively on real estate companies. Its largest positions are Prologis, Welltower, and Equinix, which together account for more than 24% of assets. The fund has a track record of nearly 25 years in the market, making it one of the more established options in this segment.

While SCHH also invests solely in U.S. REITs, but with a broader portfolio of 123 holdings. Its top three positions mirror RWR’s, though with slightly different weights.

For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide at this link.

What this means for investorsSCHH and RWR are similar in many ways. They both focus solely on the real estate industry, have experienced similar returns and levels of volatility over the last five years, and share the same top three holdings.

SCHH is somewhat more diversified, with around two dozen more stocks than RWR. But with over 100 holdings each, both funds provide a fair amount of diversification.

The primary differences come down to fees, yield, and assets under management.

SCHH offers a significantly lower expense ratio of 0.07%, meaning investors will pay $7 per year in fees for every $10,000 invested -- compared to $25 per year with RWR. While it's a slight difference, it will be much more noticeable for long-term investors and those with larger account balances.

RWR shines, however, with its higher dividend yield. The higher payout can help investors claw back some of the money they're paying in fees, providing a source of long-term passive income.

Finally, the difference in assets under management (AUM) could be significant for some investors. SCHH boasts a much higher AUM, providing greater liquidity and making it easier for investors to buy and sell larger amounts. This won't necessarily be a selling point for everyone, but it is a factor to consider.

GlossaryREIT (Real Estate Investment Trust): A company owning or financing income-producing real estate, required to distribute most taxable income.
ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund): A fund holding a basket of assets that trades on an exchange like a stock.
Expense ratio: Annual fund operating costs expressed as a percentage of the fund's average assets.
Dividend yield: Annual dividends paid by a fund or stock divided by its current share price.
Beta: A measure of an investment’s volatility compared with the overall stock market, often the S&P 500.
AUM (Assets Under Management): The total market value of all assets managed by a fund or investment firm.
Drawdown: The percentage decline from an investment’s peak value to its subsequent lowest point.
Max drawdown: The largest observed percentage drop from peak to trough over a specified period.
Total return: Investment performance including price changes plus all dividends and distributions, assuming reinvestment.
Diversification: Spreading investments across many securities to reduce the impact of any single holding’s performance.
Holdings: The individual securities or positions owned within a fund’s portfolio.
Portfolio construction: The process of selecting and weighting investments to build a fund or an investor’s overall portfolio.

All three offer much more than a regular payout.

Dividend investing isn't inherently superior to other styles, as each has its own aims and goals. However, there is something to be said about dividend stocks: Over the long run, they outperform their non-dividend-paying peers by a mile. That's why every long-term investor should consider adding at least a couple of dividend payers to their portfolios, even if they are more focused on high-growth stocks.

With that in mind, let's consider three dividend stocks to buy this year and stick with for good: Visa (V 0.67%), Novartis (NVS +0.06%), and Meta Platforms (META +1.08%).

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Visa Visa, a favorite investment of Warren Buffett, has many qualities of a forever stock.

First, Visa's business model is fairly simple to understand. The company processes credit and debit card transactions through its network and charges a fee for each. True, the details can get complicated and involve a vast infrastructure, including data centers and a proprietary network, that support an enormous volume of transactions. But at the most basic level, anyone can grasp what Visa does.

Second, the financial services specialist has a strong competitive moat from two sources, including its brand name -- one of the most recognizable in the industry -- and deep network effects. It's hard to fathom merchants not accepting Visa as a form of payment in any market where the company's branded cards are ubiquitous. That would be like refusing business from consumers. The more Visa cards in circulation, the more attractive it becomes to merchants.

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Third, Visa has attractive growth prospects, even if it may not always appear that way. Credit and debit cards have become the norm for many people. However, there are still trillions of dollars worth of cash and check transactions every year. And that's before we account for the growth of the e-commerce market, which will create a rising demand for digital payment methods.

Finally, Visa is a terrific dividend stock. The company's forward yield may not be that impressive at 0.8%, but it has increased its dividend by 379% during the past decade. These are all good reasons Visa is worth holding on to for a long time.

2. Novartis Novartis has an excellent dividend streak, having increased its payouts annually for 28 years straight. That already tells us something about the company, even without looking closely at the details. Only a corporation with a consistent and reliable business can pull off something like that.

That certainly describes this pharmaceutical giant. Novartis has a vast portfolio of medicines across multiple therapeutic areas, with more than 10 products generating annual sales exceeding $1 billion. It also routinely launches new medicines, which allows it to mitigate revenue losses due to patent expirations and generic (or biosimilar) competition.

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Novartis' sales will occasionally move in the wrong direction, but the company always recovers. It is an innovative leader in a defensive industry and it tends to navigate downturns and recessions more effectively than most others. Even when it is unable to develop new therapies in-house, Novartis has the means to license promising candidates from smaller companies or acquire them outright.

What does the future hold for Novartis? The drugmaker is well positioned to benefit over the long run as healthcare spending increases due to several factors, including an aging population. In the meantime, given its excellent dividend program and forward yield of 2.8%, investors can expect regular dividend increases for a long time.

3. Meta Platforms Meta Platforms is a terrific growth stock to hold for a long time, and one that recently started paying dividends.

Let's start with the tech giant's growth prospects. One of Meta's core strengths is its vast ecosystem of more than 3.5 billion daily active users across its websites and apps.

And it's not just the number of people who use its services. Meta Platforms uses extensive data on user habits and preferences to help companies craft targeted and highly effective ads. That's why it is a leading player in the digital ads market and generates consistent revenue and profits.

Meta Platforms is also doubling down on artificial intelligence (AI). It has used AI-powered algorithms to enhance engagement on Facebook and Instagram, while also leveraging the technology to streamline the ad preparation and launch process for businesses. Everyone wins.

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Further, Meta Platforms benefits from both network effects and switching costs within its websites and apps. Its ecosystem should remain intact and grant it significant monetization opportunities over the long run. That's why it looks like an excellent growth stock to stick with.

Then there is the dividend, which Meta Platforms first initiated in 2024. It may not be a great dividend stock yet, with a yield of just 0.3%, but over time, it could become one, given its consistently increasing earnings and cash flow. 

So, Meta Platforms has a lot to offer both growth-oriented investors and dividend seekers. The stock appears to be a solid option for long-term holding.

Investors could get both high dividend yields and high returns with these stocks.

Are high dividend yields joined at the hip with low share price appreciation? That can sometimes be the case, but not always.

It's possible to find stocks that offer both juicy yields and significant growth opportunities. Here are three high-yield dividend stocks that Wall Street thinks will soar 26% or more in 2026.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Clearwater Energy Clearwater Energy (CWEN 1.05%) (CWEN.A 1.05%) ranks as one of the largest renewable energy companies in the U.S. It owns wind, solar, and energy storage facilities in 27 states. Clearwater's portfolio has a gross power generation capacity of around 12.7 gigawatts.

The company has two publicly traded share classes. Its Class A shares trade under the CWEN.A ticker symbol and offer a forward dividend yield just a hair below 6%. Clearwater Energy's Class C shares trade under the CWEN ticker and have a forward dividend yield of 5.6%.

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Both stocks have risen by more than 20% over the last 12 months. Wall Street believes that Clearwater's Class C shares, in particular, can keep this momentum going in 2026. The consensus 12-month price target for Clearwater Energy Class C shares reflects a potential upside of around 30%.

Is that kind of growth realistic? Maybe. Clearwater Energy's earnings more than doubled year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025. The data center boom continues to serve as an impressive driver of growth for the company. However, Clearwater's shares are priced at a high premium, which could affect its ability to deliver exceptional returns this year.

2. Energy Transfer LP Energy Transfer LP (ET +0.41%) is a limited partnership (LP) that operates natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil, and refined product pipelines across the U.S. The LP also owns energy assets, including processing facilities, storage facilities, and terminals.

Its forward distribution yield tops 7.9%. Even better, Energy Transfer expects to increase its distribution by 3% to 5% per year. That goal appears to be attainable, especially with the LP enjoying the strongest financial position in its history.

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Of the 20 analysts surveyed by S&P Global (SPGI +0.07%) in January, 17 rated Energy Transfer as a "buy" or "strong buy." The average price target among analysts is roughly 29% above the LP's current unit price.

I'm as bullish about Energy Transfer as Wall Street is. Like Clearwater Energy, this LP is benefiting from the rapid build-out of data centers in the U.S. Its valuation also remains attractive, with the second-lowest trailing 12-month enterprise value to EBITDA ratio among its peers.

3. Vici Properties If you've visited a casino recently, there's a good chance you've had a personal experience with Vici Properties (VICI 0.36%). This real estate investment trust (REIT) owns 93 properties. Its top tenants include Caesars Entertainment (CZR 1.75%), MGM Resorts (MGM 1.99%), and The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas.

Vici's forward dividend yield is 6.4%. The company has increased its dividend by a compound annual growth rate of 6.6% over the last seven years. It targets an adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) payout ratio of 75%, a level that should allow Vici to continue growing its dividend.

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Wall Street likes this REIT. Nineteen of the 24 analysts surveyed by S&P Global in January rated Vici as a "buy" or "strong buy." The remaining five recommended holding the stock. More impressively, though, the consensus 12-month price target for Vici reflects a potential upside of around 26%.

Valuation shouldn't hinder Vici from delivering on Wall Street's projections. The company's shares trade at only 9.5 times forward earnings. The prospects of resurging inflation aren't concerning either, since Vici has long-term CPI-linked escalation provisions in 90% of its rent roll.

I wouldn't bet the farm that Vici's shares will indeed jump 26% this year. However, I believe the odds of the stock delivering market-beating total returns are pretty favorable.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, but may initiate a beneficial Long position through a purchase of the stock, or the purchase of call options or similar derivatives in MO over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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

Berkshire Hathaway has just undergone a huge change, but one fact has remained constant.

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A 0.30%)(BRK.B 0.13%) has entered a new phase of its existence. At the end of 2025, longtime Chief Executive Officer Warren Buffett handed off his job to top lieutenant, Greg Abel. Given Buffett's long and incredibly successful tenure, it is reasonable for investors to worry about the future. However, there's one very significant reason to still consider buying the stock.

The big change at Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire Hathaway is an unusual company. Although its insurance operations generally leave it classified as a finance company, it is actually a widely diversified conglomerate. It is challenging to convey the company's extensive diversification, as it owned 189 subsidiary companies as of the end of 2024.

Image source: Getty Images.

That, however, is in keeping with Buffett's general approach. He operated Berkshire Hathaway as his investment vehicle. Buying the stock was, basically, a decision to hire Buffett to manage your money. In some ways, it operated like a mutual fund, noting that in addition to the owned companies, it also has a large portfolio of publicly traded stocks.

In fact, most investors bought Berkshire Hathaway because they wanted to invest alongside Buffett. With Buffett having handed over the CEO role to Abel, however, that is no longer a reason to buy the stock. To be fair, Buffett is set to remain chairman of the board of directors, so he will still be Abel's boss. Moreover, Abel has worked for Buffett for decades, so he's well versed in the former CEO's approach.

Still, Abel isn't Buffett, and the new CEO will run the company in a different manner. This is probably the largest change at Berkshire Hathaway since Buffett took control of the business, which was then a clothing manufacturer.

Why you might want to buy Berkshire Hathaway now It would be completely reasonable for investors who own Berkshire Hathaway solely because of Buffett to sell the stock. However, there is still one very large reason to buy it. You could argue that there are actually 381 billion reasons.

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That's the number of dollars Berkshire Hathaway was holding on its balance sheet in cash or short-term investments at the end of the third quarter of 2025. With Buffett handing off a cash hoard of $381 billion, he is giving Abel a huge financial cushion. The new CEO could make a few mistakes, and the company would likely survive them quite easily.

That cash also gives Abel the firepower to make growth-oriented acquisitions. It isn't clear how the new CEO intends to invest the money. Given Buffett's continuing presence at the company and Abel's training, it seems likely that Abel will continue to favor buying well-run businesses when they are trading at attractive valuations.

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There are some indications that Abel is likely to be more involved in the day-to-day operation of subsidiary companies. Even there, however, the cash hoard has material value, because the money could be used to make growth-oriented capital investments or to streamline subsidiary operations.

Even in a worst-case scenario of a deep recession, the outlook is fairly positive. Berkshire Hathaway's strong financial condition would give it the ability to weather the storm relatively unscathed. In fact, a deep recession could be quite positive because it would likely create opportunities for Berkshire Hathaway to acquire other companies or shares at discounted prices.

Berkshire Hathaway after Buffett When you look at Berkshire Hathaway today, you have to ask yourself why you want to own it. If the only reason you were ever interested in owning the stock was Buffett, then you probably shouldn't buy it now that he's no longer CEO. However, if the widely diversified conglomerate's business is attractive to you, then it is probably still worth considering with Abel at the helm.

There is a risk that Berkshire Hathaway will be a different business now that Buffett is no longer at the helm. Still, the $381 billion in cash on the balance sheet is a good reason to give Abel the benefit of the doubt as he puts his imprint on the widely diversified conglomerate.

These stocks are poised to deliver wealth-building returns.

Artificial intelligence (AI) remains one of the best opportunities for investors in 2026. Key suppliers of hardware and data center infrastructure are seeing strong demand heading into the new year, which sets the stage for more gains for investors.

Here are two stocks with significant long-term return potential that are worth buying now.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Advanced Micro Devices Shares of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD 0.74%) have returned 8,300% over the last 10 years, and this amazing growth story is far from over. The company is a leading supplier of chips for several markets but is particularly well positioned to see growth in its data center business.

AMD's focus on meeting demand for AI workloads is paying off. Revenue grew 36% year over year in the third quarter. This growth was driven by record sales of its EPYC central processing units (CPUs) for servers, as well as demand for Ryzen desktop processors and Instinct data center chips.

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While AMD is second to Nvidia in graphics processing units (GPUs), demand for AMD's Instinct GPUs has been accelerating. Its data center segment revenue grew 22% year over year, reaching a quarterly record of $4.3 billion. This trend is expected to accelerate further in 2026, as OpenAI recently struck a deal with AMD to supply a substantial number of Instinct GPUs, starting in the second half of 2026.

However, management also sees many customers planning to deploy larger CPU clusters in the near term. This highlights two key engines of growth in CPUs and GPUs, which will drive AMD's business going forward.

The demand trends are validating AMD's full-stack strategy, which combines chips, software, and system-level solutions. Management sees a $500 billion addressable market opportunity for its products. This provides ample upside for investors who buy the stock on the recent dip, allowing them to earn attractive returns over the next five years and beyond.

If the stock continues to trade at the same price-to-earnings multiple, which is not overly expensive at 32 times 2026 estimates, investors could be looking at truly wealth-building gains. Analysts are projecting the company's earnings to grow at an annualized rate of 45% over the next few years.

Image source: Getty Images.

2. Iren Investing in companies that supply data center capacity to hyperscalers is a compelling opportunity for investors. The demand for AI compute, including chips and data center infrastructure, is growing faster than the global energy supply.

This is leading to a major bottleneck in the coming years in available compute capacity, where a single data center requires hundreds of megawatts of power to run large quantities of GPUs. This is why you want to consider investing in Iren Limited (IREN +0.77%) right now.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently revealed that the company has large quantities of GPUs sitting around with no data centers to plug them into. Microsoft has a massive amount of data centers for its cloud business but needs more. This is why the company recently signed a $9.7 billion, five-year contract with Iren to supply data center capacity starting this year.

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46.03

The Microsoft deal is for Iren's Childress site in Texas, which will provide 750 megawatts of energized data center capacity. However, Iren also has 1.4 gigawatts coming online at its Sweetwater data center site in April. This could lead to another major contract with a hyperscaler in the near term.

Iren's market capitalization has been fluctuating between about $12 billion to $15 billion recently. This is a fair price for its $2.8 billion in net assets and Microsoft contract value.

However, Iren has only just begun to scratch the surface of its potential. The company has roughly 3 gigawatts of grid-connected power for its data center pipeline, and that's only what it has disclosed.

Considering Iren has been investing in this opportunity for many years by securing land and power assets, management likely has a plan to scale to several gigawatts of energized data centers over the next decade. This will be enormously valuable, considering the severe strains on the U.S. power grid that are expected to result from increases in compute that are needed to train future AI models.

The stock surged 285% in 2025 but is likely headed much higher over the next five years. The consensus analyst estimate has the company's revenue increasing from $510 million in fiscal 2025 to more than $4 billion by fiscal 2030.

John Ballard has positions in Advanced Micro Devices, Iren, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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SummaryCoreWeave’s growth is real, but it is being financed by leverage while free cash flow remains deeply negative.Growth risk has shifted from demand uncertainty to the timing mismatch between infrastructure buildout and cash generation.Leverage has risen to roughly 18 billion dollars of debt, compressing interest coverage toward stressed levels.The investment outcome now hinges on operational delivery stabilizing before dilution becomes unavoidable. Dragos Condrea/iStock via Getty Images

For much of the past two years, CoreWeave (CRWV) benefited from a forgiving market narrative. The demand for AI was going through the roof, there was urgency because of GPUs, and size was seen as proof

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

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

Brazilian crypto exchange Mercado Bitcoin published a report highlighting six central projections in the cryptocurrency markets. The exchange predicted that 2026 will be a significant year in the crypto industry, with expansion in stablecoins, altcoins, and Bitcoin’s market capitalization.

Mercado Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency exchange platform in Latin America, has published a report outlining potential growth trends in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. The report highlighted six major trends that are expected to shape the cryptocurrency market this year.

Mercado Bitcoin projects significant growth in the crypto industry this year The São Paulo-based cryptocurrency exchange highlighted that significant developments in the crypto industry will occur in stablecoins, ETFs, Altcoins, AI-powered trading activities, and tokenization. According to the report, the exchange anticipates substantial growth for Bitcoin in 2026. It highlighted that BTC’s market capitalization will more than double by the end of 2026, to meet 14% of gold’s total market capitalization. 

The prediction was derived from a valuation methodology developed in collaboration with researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The report noted that the valuation model capitalizes on the Total Addressable Market (TAM) approach, among other methods, to estimate Bitcoin’s theoretical value, using gold as the primary benchmark instead of relying on traditional cash flow models.

According to the report, Bitcoin is primarily viewed as a store of value, similar to gold. However, the digital asset has more advantages compared to gold, which faces logistical challenges and storage hurdles. The report identified a growing trend among institutions that now view Bitcoin as a better store of value compared to gold, due to its characteristics as a borderless and self-custodial asset. Bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. alone have $116.86 billion in net assets under management, equivalent to 6.48% of the cryptocurrency’s market capitalization. 

The report also outlined significant growth in the stablecoin infrastructure. The exchange predicted that the market capitalization of this sector will reach $500 billion by the end of the year. According to CoinGecko, a cryptocurrency data aggregator, stablecoins have a combined market capitalization of $311.674 billion as of the time of this publication. 

The Brazilian exchange emphasized that stablecoins play a crucial role as a source of liquidity for the sector, evolving from trading tools into payment instruments across countries and sectors. The exchange cited the stablecoin growth in 2025, which increased nearly 50% year-over-year. The report attributed the growth to regulatory developments that have provided clarity to stablecoin issuance and usage. Cryptopolitan reported in June last year that the U.S. passed the GENIUS Act, which became the first-ever U.S. law to regulate stablecoin issuers. 

XRP and Solana ETFs will account for 80% of inflows in Altcoin ETFs MB projected that Altcoin ETFs will stand out in 2026. The exchange flagged altcoin funds tied to XRP, Chainlink, and Solana as top ETF altcoins that have been attracting institutional capital since their debut.

Data from SosoValue, an ETF tracking website, shows that XRP ETFs now have $1.47 billion in net assets under management, which is equivalent to 1.16% of the total XRP market cap. The data also shows that these funds have witnessed consistent inflows since November 14 and have only witnessed negative flows on January 7. 

Solana ETFs also crossed the $1 billion mark in net assets under management and now hold 1.43% of SOL’s total market cap. The exchange’s report estimates that altcoin ETFs will grow to $10 billion by the end of the year and projects that Solana and XRP will account for 80% of the total inflows.

The exchange’s report identified tokenization of real-world assets as a significant sector and estimated its growth will surpass $54 billion, increasing by 200%. MB researchers believe the sector has attracted institutional interest, with major firms such as BlackRock and Franklin Templeton launching their own tokenized funds.

In the report, MB also projected that the prediction market will expand by more than 25X, with platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket leading the pack. The forecast indicates that capital influx in these markets may reach $20 billion by year-end. MB also expects blockchain-powered AI agents to make significant contributions to the development of crypto ecosystems.

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Bitcoin price is continuing to trade below a major resistance zone, showing signs of hesitation as markets wait for a clearer direction. On the daily chart, Bitcoin has repeatedly failed to move above the resistance range between $92,800 and $101,200, a level that has capped prices since late November.

Bitcoin Faces Strong Resistance

Over the past several weeks, Bitcoin has made multiple attempts to push higher but has been rejected each time near this resistance area. These repeated pullbacks show sellers remain active, making it difficult for the price to break out in the short term.

This kind of price action is not unusual after a strong rally, as Bitcoin often pauses and struggles before deciding its next move.

Short-Term Outlook Hinges on the Weekend

Analysts say the next few days could be important for Bitcoin’s short-term direction. While the price still shows signs that another push higher is possible, there is no confirmed breakout yet. If Bitcoin fails to move above resistance soon, pressure could build for another drop.

On the smaller time frame, Bitcoin is facing immediate resistance between $90,976 and $92,047. As long as the price stays below this zone, upside momentum remains limited.

Levels to Watch

If Bitcoin manages to break above this short-term resistance, it could open the door for a move toward $98,400. However, if the price is rejected again, analysts warn that Bitcoin could revisit lower support levels, potentially falling toward the mid-$70,000 range.

For now, Bitcoin remains stuck in a tight range, respecting both support and resistance. Until then, the market appears to be in a holding pattern, with next week likely to play a key role in shaping Bitcoin’s next major price move.

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

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

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Two years ago, Bitcoin gained something it had chased for a long time: a place in the tradfi default menu.

Plenty of people could get exposure to Bitcoin in 2023, as anyone with an exchange account and a tolerance for operational risk could click “buy.” Yet most capital in the US moves through brokerages, retirement accounts, advisory platforms, model portfolios, and compliance checklists.

For that money, Bitcoin needed to arrive in a form that looked and felt like the rest of a portfolio.

On Jan. 10, 2024, the SEC approved the listing and trading of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded products. A day later, the first US spot Bitcoin ETFs began trading, and by Thursday afternoon, about $4.6 billion worth of shares had changed hands.

That first session was a historically unmatched success, and it shifted who gets to matter at the margin in Bitcoin’s market.

The biggest change over the past two years comes from a new buyer base flowing in through a familiar wrapper. ETFs helped push Bitcoin out of a primarily crypto-native trading environment and into the system that already distributes mainstream assets at scale.

Put simply, Bitcoin gained an institutional distribution channel.

How Bitcoin got its tickerThe story of Bitcoin ETFs might have culminated in a single date, but it took a decade of failed attempts to reach that point. Spot Bitcoin ETF proposals had been filed, revised, rejected, and refiled as the SEC kept raising concerns around market integrity and surveillance expectations for a product tied to spot markets.

The crucial momentum arrived through a narrowing set of legal and regulatory arguments.

In August 2023, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled that the SEC acted “arbitrarily and capriciously” when it denied Grayscale’s application to convert its Bitcoin trust (GBTC) into a spot Bitcoin ETP while approving Bitcoin futures ETPs. The decision didn’t approve an ETF on its own, but it pushed the SEC to justify why futures-based products could pass muster while spot-based products could not.

By Jan. 10, 2024, Chair Gary Gensler framed the approvals narrowly, calling it an approval of the ETP structure rather than a broader endorsement of Bitcoin. But the markets heard something else: Bitcoin had reached the distribution machinery that controls a large share of the investable wealth in the US.

The two-year scoreboard, without the flow diaryTo understand the effect of the ETF era without getting lost in daily totals, we need to start with the cumulative record: the US spot Bitcoin ETF complex has accumulated $56.63 billion in net inflows through Jan. 9, 2026, according to data from Farside.

That’s the headline number for the new marginal bid. The second number explains why early flow narratives were often messy: not all ETF activity represented fresh demand. A large portion reflected rotation.

Farside’s totals show GBTC at −$25.41 billion and IBIT at +$62.65 billion over the same period. That spread captures the defining internal motion of the era: money leaving a legacy wrapper and moving into newer, cheaper, more liquid funds, with BlackRock’s product emerging as the money's final destination.

Early 2024 produced plenty of outflow headlines. Many of those days saw robust buying in newer products while GBTC served as an exit valve for investors who had waited years for a smoother structure.

The result was that the same market could look weak and strong at once, depending on which issuer you focused on.

The new marginal buyerBitcoin’s buyer base has always been diverse, ranging from retail traders, miners, long-term holders, funds, and opportunists, but it required at least some crypto fluency. ETFs lowered that bar so aggressively that the identity of the marginal buyer changed completely.

The ETF buyer is an advisor implementing a model, a brokerage investor who wants exposure without custody, or a retirement account allocation executed inside a familiar workflow.

That matters because marginal flows influence marginal pricing. In the ETF era, broad risk appetite can route into spot demand with fewer operational steps and fewer points where friction kills the trade.

This is where our headline phrase “Wall Street owns the bid” earns its meaning. In practice, it points to a buyer whose actions show up in a form the mainstream market can track, compare, and react to in near-real time. It also describes a shift in narrative power: flows have become an easy, shared language between TradFi and crypto.

Farside’s average line helps frame what steady demand looks like. The total spot Bitcoin ETF complex averaged $113.3 million in daily net flows in two years. That’s a meaningful, persistent channel, especially in a market where supply remains fixed.

Of course, flows don’t explain everything, but they do explain why the market increasingly treats ETF creations and redemptions as a daily pulse.

Liquidity arrived fast, and then it concentratedThe first day’s $4.6 billion in trading volume signaled that Bitcoin exposure could be traded at scale on familiar rails. That has very practical, easily measurable consequences. Liquidity tends to compound, as tighter spreads and deeper markets make large allocations easier.

This leads to an improvement in execution, which then makes products easier to recommend.

MetricValueWhy it mattersTotal US spot Bitcoin ETF net flows (since launch)$56.63BThe cleanest “two-year scoreboard” for demand coming through the ETF wrapper.IBIT cumulative net flows$62.65BShows how one product became the dominant pipe for new allocation and distribution.GBTC cumulative net flows−$25.4BThe great unwind: early ETF-era selling pressure largely reflected rotation out of a legacy wrapper.Average daily net flow (total complex)$113.3MCaptures the “steady-state” pace—big enough to matter without needing headline days.Largest one-day net inflow (total complex)$1.374BA reminder that in extreme sessions, ETFs can dominate the narrative and the tape.Largest one-day net outflow (total complex)−$1.114BShows how quickly sentiment can shift when the marginal buyer pauses—or reallocates.First-day trading volume (Jan. 11, 2024)$4.6BLiquidity arrived immediately; Bitcoin exposure could trade on familiar rails at scale.Source: Farside Investors; LSEG via Reuters (first-day volume).

Over time, liquidity also concentrated. Even when a lineup of products looks similar, capital gravitates toward brands investors already trust and toward the funds that become default choices on platforms.

IBIT’s cumulative total is the clearest measure of that gravity, but the extreme days show the consequences. Farside’s maximum and minimum for the total complex are +$1.37 billion and −$1.11 billion. Sessions like those pull flows from “context” to “driver,” shaping positioning, headlines, and short-term price interpretation.

A market that routes the marginal bid through a handful of massive vehicles will naturally watch those vehicles closely.

ETFs reshaped Bitcoin’s frictions—and how volatility shows upA straightforward hope sat inside the push for ETFs: package Bitcoin like a stock, and the market will eat it up.

Bitcoin still trades globally, 24/7, with reflexive narratives and a long history of leverage cycles. The ETF wrapper doesn’t change those fundamentals; it does change where the friction sits.

Before ETFs, that friction was operational: custody, exchange access, compliance, and tax structure. After ETFs, much of that friction moved into a familiar format: fees, platform placement, product selection, and the timing of allocations that occur inside mainstream market rhythms.

The GBTC chapter shows friction migrating in real time. GBTC helped traditional investors hold Bitcoin exposure, yet it carried significant structural quirks, including discounts and premiums to NAV, limited redemption mechanics, and, eventually, a fee that looked high next to ETF peers.

Conversion to an ETF delivered a cleaner structure and opened the door for exits and reallocations that had been pent up for a while. The outflows were loud, and they also reflected the market digesting an upgrade.

A bearish read of that period saw institutions selling. A more practical, realistic read focused on structure: investors moving from older wrappers into newer ones as fees compressed and liquidity improved.

The secondary legacy: Bitcoin ETFs became the templateTwo years on, spot Bitcoin ETFs function as infrastructure. That status created a second legacy: imitation.

Once Bitcoin proved that a spot crypto asset could be packaged, distributed, and traded at scale in the US, the market gained a clear playbook. The discussion shifted toward the mechanics of success (distribution, fees, platform access, and how legacy structures unwind) because those factors shape who wins once the wrapper exists.

The ETF era also reset expectations inside crypto. It established a benchmark for first-day liquidity, demonstrated how quickly assets can accumulate in a mainstream vehicle, and showed how fast market share can concentrate around one or two dominant products.

Just as important, it built a language bridge. Investors who follow daily creations and redemptions to understand Bitcoin’s demand now have a framework that can extend to other wrappers, whether those are additional spot products, derivatives around the ETF shares, or portfolio strategies that treat Bitcoin exposure as a standard allocation decision.

The wrapper attracted new buyers and established a repeatable model for distributing crypto risk.

What to watch in year threeIf the first two years proved the pipe works, the next phase centers on behavior once the pipe is taken for granted.

Three concrete factors matter:

Flows now act like a regime signal. Net creations accelerating or slowing has become an input for commentary and positioning. The average day may be $116 million, but the extremes show how quickly the tape can change.Distribution tends to deepen with time. The longer a product trades without operational drama, the easier it becomes for platforms, advisors, and institutions to treat it as normal. And “normal” is what turns an asset from a trade into an allocation.Concentration brings benefits and risks. Dominant funds can tighten spreads and improve execution. They also become points of narrative gravity, and crowded attention can pull markets toward the same story at the same time.Traditional finance built a fast, scalable pipe to Bitcoin. Two years in, the pipe has grown large enough to influence how Bitcoin gets priced day to day. The ETF era made Wall Street a visible participant in Bitcoin’s marginal bid, and that visibility has become part of the market’s structure.

Mentioned in this article

Sun, 11/01/2026 - 9:09

A Bitcoin miner from the network's earliest days has moved 2,000 BTC, marking the first significant activity from this ancient cohort since November 2024.

Cover image via U.Today A "Satoshi-era" miner has just moved 2,000 Bitcoin, according to recent data provided by Julio Moreno, head of research at cryptocurrency analytics firm CryptoQuant. 

As noted by Moreno, this is the first significant activity from this cohort of ancient holders since November 2024.

"Historically, Satoshi-era miners move their Bitcoin at key inflection points," Moreno said. 

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Decoding netflows The term "Satoshi-era" typically refers to those who produced their coins when Satoshi Nakamoto, the elusive creator of the original cryptocurrency, was still active on public forums. 

A miner from the Satoshi era moved 2K Bitcoin today, the first time this happens since November 2024, when Bitcoin was at ~$91K.

Historically, Satoshi-era miners move their Bitcoin at key inflection points. pic.twitter.com/cUKIM5uXL6

— Julio Moreno (@jjcmoreno) January 10, 2026 Back then, these were mined on simple CPUs, and BTC was not worth much.  

Most coins from this era are considered "lost" or "frozen." Hence, instances when whales make such sudden splashes attract a lot of social media attention. 

The chart provided by Moreno shows the "netflow" of Satoshi-era coins. It measures the difference between coins entering and leaving miner wallets. 

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The chart provided by the analyst shows that every red spike represents a moment where these ancient miners "cashed out" or moved a significant amount of Bitcoin.

The chart reveals a clear behavioral pattern: these "OG" whales tend to sell into rallies.

For instance, miners aggressively sold thousands of coins as Bitcoin broke $40,000 and raced toward $60,000 back in 2021. There was also a massive spike in late 2024, when Bitcoin hit $91,000. 

Significance of whale moves Retail investors operate on the belief that whales (especially Satoshi-era ones) know something they don’t. Moreover, whales with such substantial holdings obviously have tremendous influence on the market. 

Last month, for instance, roughly $183 million worth of vintage Bitcoin was mobilized in a span of just 72 hours.

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Ethereum’s social media sentiment is waning. The decline so far, however, mirrors the period leading up to its 2025 rally, which reclaimed its 2021 highs, according to Santiment analyst Brian Quinlivan.

Speaking in a video uploaded Saturday to YouTube, he stated, “Ethereum is actually way down, this would argue against us falling too much further. This is kind of reminiscent of what we saw before Ethereum went on its major run last year.”

To make matters better, macro-level crypto market data are stabilizing too, with investor pessimism reaching a level historically associated with upward momentum. Social sentiment is said to be a contrarian signal, and similar trends have helped drive major cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum, to massive rallies in the past.

Quinlivan says Ethereum is now recognized as the second top cryptocurrency In late August last year, Ether returned to its 2021 record high of $4,878, marking an almost 70% increase from its low of $1,472 on April 9, according to CoinMarketCap. Quinlivan noted that Ether’s price surged right when many traders were beginning to dismiss the token.

Currently, Ether has retreated 36% from its August peak, trading at $3,089, after a $19 billion crypto sell-off on October 10 caused a market-wide downtrend. Despite the significant drop in just a few months, investors aren’t as doubtful about Ethereum’s upside as they were at the start of 2025.

He remarked, “I wouldn’t say that is happening now. Ethereum is kind of back to being an expected number two market cap for a lot of people.” Similarly, Coinbase Asset Management president Anthony Bassili also previously told reporters he’s pleased to see Ethereum regain its proper ranking. He explained that there is now a broad consensus among investors that a first portfolio should start with Bitcoin, then include Ethereum.

Traders believe Ethereum could surpass $5000 in 2026 Quinlivan remains hopeful, stating that the Ethereum network is expected to grow sharply in the coming months, particularly with an increase in staking demand. It seems he isn’t the only one who’s optimistic — on Kalshi, traders assign a 59% chance that Ethereum will exceed $4,250 in 2026, and 49% believe it could surpass $4,500.

Additionally, crypto-focused platform Polymarket is also wagering on prices far above current levels, with over 40% of traders betting Ethereum will hit $5,000 in 2026 and 22% predicting it will exceed $6,000. While prices of $7,500, $8,000, and $10,000 are still considered long shots, traders are still placing bets on them. About 7% of traders are betting on a price over $10,000.

The Ethereum Foundation also said at the end of the year that the Ethereum network cemented its role as the secure backbone of our digital civilization, consolidating its fundamentals for 2026.

Crypto market sentiment is down to “Fear” levels Overall, the crypto market sentiment is on a downturn, oscillating between “Fear” and “Extreme Fear” since early November. On Sunday, the Index posted 29, indicating “Fear.”

Investors nonetheless still prefer Bitcoin over other cryptocurrencies, with the Altcoin Season Index scoring BTC sentiment at 34 out of 100. But judging from the 90-day action of the top 100 altcoins versus Bitcoin, the index flipped between “Bitcoin Season” and “Altcoin Season” measures. Early in the year, however, some analysts have already cautioned traders to expect a downturn for Bitcoin. 

Ki Young Ju, CEO of CryptoQuant, warned that the biggest crypto asset may remain in a consolidation phase through the first quarter of 2026. Investment in Bitcoin, he said, had slowed as investors turned their attention to equities and metals, such as gold and silver. Veteran trader Peter Brandt and Fidelity macro research director Jurrien Timmer also suggested Bitcoin could revisit the $60,000–$65,000 range this year.

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US spot Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) opened 2026 under pressure, with investors pulling nearly $750 million from the two largest crypto-linked ETF categories during the first full trading week of the year.

Key Takeaways:

Bitcoin and Ether ETFs saw nearly $750 million in outflows during the first full week of 2026. Bitcoin funds led the decline despite a strong inflow at the start of the week. XRP and Solana ETFs bucked the trend, attracting fresh capital as investors rotated into altcoin funds. At the same time, newer funds tied to XRP and Solana moved in the opposite direction, drawing fresh capital and posting stronger trading activity.

Bitcoin and Ether ETFs See $750M Outflows Despite Strong Week StartData from SoSoValue shows spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs recorded combined net outflows of $749.6 million between January 6 and January 9.

Bitcoin funds accounted for the bulk of the decline, shedding $681 million after four straight days of redemptions.

The slide came despite a strong start to the week, when Bitcoin ETFs attracted nearly $700 million in inflows on January 5, the only positive session during the period.

Selling pressure intensified midweek. Outflows on January 7 alone reached $486.1 million, marking the largest single-day drawdown of the week.

BlackRock’s IBIT, the largest spot Bitcoin ETF by assets, saw $252 million exit on January 9.

Bitwise’s BITB posted smaller losses, while Fidelity’s FBTC stood out as an exception, recording modest inflows on the same day.

GM

🟠CryptoQuant reports that the $79,000 level is an important support area for Bitcoin.

This level coincides with the average purchase price (realized price) of investors in American Bitcoin ETFs.

If the price of BTC reaches $79,000, most of the ETF holders will be at the… pic.twitter.com/N80IiO4U1H

— Captain GM (@g13m) January 10, 2026 Despite the pullback, spot Bitcoin ETFs remain a major force in the market. The 12 approved funds now hold roughly $116.9 billion in net assets, equivalent to about 6.5% of Bitcoin’s total market capitalization.

Since their launch in January 2024, cumulative net inflows still exceed $56 billion.

Spot Ether ETFs followed a similar pattern, though on a smaller scale. The group ended the week with $68.6 million in net outflows after strong inflows earlier in the period were reversed by heavy selling over the final three trading days.

BlackRock’s ETHA led outflows, followed by Grayscale’s ETHE. The nine Ether ETFs currently manage $18.7 billion in assets, representing just over 5% of Ether’s market value.

XRP ETFs Buck Market Pullback With Record Volume and Fresh InflowsWhile investors trimmed exposure to the two largest cryptocurrencies, appetite for altcoin-linked ETFs showed signs of growth.

Spot XRP ETFsrecorded $38.1 million in net inflows during the week and reached their highest weekly trading volume since launch at $219 million.

The surge points to rising institutional engagement as the products gain traction following their debut in late 2025.

Canary Capital’s XRPC remains the largest XRP fund by assets, followed closely by offerings from Bitwise and Franklin Templeton.

Collectively, XRP ETFs have accumulated more than $1.2 billion in net inflows, with total assets approaching $1.5 billion.

Solana ETFs also attracted fresh capital, taking in $41.1 million over the same period.

Bitwise’s BSOL continues to dominate the category, holding a commanding lead over rival products as investors selectively rotate into alternative crypto exposures.

These two industry powerhouses have a clear path to admission to the elite $3 trillion club.

A lot has changed in 20 years, including the biggest drivers of U.S. economic activity. For example, to kick off 2006, industrial bellwether General Electric and energy stalwart ExxonMobil were the two largest publicly traded companies in the country in terms of market cap, valued at $370 billion and $349 billion, respectively. Things are much different in 2026, and technology companies -- particularly those at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) -- top the charts. In fact, of the world's 10 most valuable companies (as of this writing), nine are arguably leaders in the field of AI.

Only four companies have earned membership in the ultra-exclusive $3 trillion club, and each is a powerhouse in its respective field. AI chipmaker Nvidia heads the list at $4.5 trillion (as of this writing), while search leader Alphabet recently vaulted into the No. 2 position at $3.9 trillion. iPhone maker Apple slipped to No. 3 with $3.8 trillion, while software and cloud provider Microsoft comes in at No. 4 with $3.5 trillion.

Yet, their positions on the list will likely change over the next several years, and a new batch of triple trillionaires will likely join the fold. I predict that Meta Platforms (META +1.08%) and Broadcom (AVGO +3.76%) -- each worth roughly $1.6 trillion -- will make the grade, joining the $3 trillion club by the end of 2027.

Image source: Getty Images.

Meta's time to shine Meta Platforms is no stranger to AI and has long used earlier versions of the technology to find relevant content for users of its social media platforms. The company also has a long history of deploying sophisticated algorithms to hone its targeted advertising. Meta has taken this to the next level thanks to the dawn of generative AI, as its Llama AI models have been cited as among the industry leaders.

Late last year, Meta updated investors on the progress of its recommendation engine, which was "delivering higher quality and more relevant content." This boosted engagement as users spent 5% more time on Facebook and 10% more on Threads in the third quarter. There's a direct link between higher engagement and advertising revenue, as evidenced by the average price per ad, which increased 10%.

This success, in turn, is driving better financial results. In Q3, Meta delivered revenue that climbed 26% year over year to $51.2 billion, driving adjusted earnings per share (EPS) up 20% to $7.25.

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Meta has a market cap of roughly $1.6 trillion (as of this writing), so it will take a stock price increase of roughly 86% to thrust its value to $3 trillion. Meta is expected to generate revenue of more than $199 billion in 2025, according to Wall Street, resulting in a forward price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 8. Assuming its P/S remains constant, it would take revenue of roughly $370 billion to support a $3 trillion market cap.

Furthermore, Wall Street is currently forecasting revenue growth for Meta of more than 16% annually over the coming five years. If the company can achieve that benchmark, it could surpass a $3 trillion market cap as soon as 2029. However, Meta is planning steep cuts to its metaverse spending and redirecting billions of dollars to AI funding. I believe the stock will be rewarded with a higher multiple and valuation expansion, which could propel it into the $3 trillion club years sooner.

The case for Broadcom Broadcom holds a key place in the AI ecosystem. Not only does the company supply a wide variety of networking supplies and accessories critical to data center operations, but its semiconductors are also playing a pivotal role in the future of AI infrastructure.

Its application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) are specially designed processors that can be customized for specific use cases. As such, they are being welcomed as an energy-efficient alternative to Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs), which are currently the gold standard in large-scale AI applications.

In the fourth quarter, Broadcom reported record revenue that grew 28% year over year to $18 billion, pushing its adjusted EPS to $1.95, an increase of 37%. The company also revealed its backlog climbed to a record $162 billion, driven by accelerating demand for AI. This suggests that future demand will remain robust.

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Broadcom has a market cap of $1.57 trillion (as of this writing), so it would require gains of 91% to push its market cap above $3 trillion. The company is expected to generate revenue of $96.3 billion in 2026, according to Wall Street, resulting in a P/S ratio of roughly 16. If its P/S remains constant, Broadcom will need to generate revenue of roughly $184 billion annually to support a $3 trillion market cap.

Analysts are bullish, forecasting revenue growth of roughly 30% annually over the coming five years. If the company meets that benchmark, it could generate $184 billion in revenue and achieve a $3 trillion market cap as early as 2029. However, since most of Wall Street's growth estimate is front-loaded over the next couple of years, I'm betting Broadcom makes the grade a bit sooner.

Danny Vena, CPA has positions in Alphabet, Apple, Broadcom, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, GE Aerospace, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Historically, January has been a strong month for the stock market.

The calendar has flipped over to 2026, but this is no time for a post-holiday lull. Historically, major names in the stock market have enjoyed solid gains in the first month of the year.

According to Citadel, Nasdaq-100 stocks, as a group, have risen in January 70% of the time since 1985, with an average return of 2.5% That's better than the performance of the broader S&P 500, which sees January gains 62% of the time.

Why is this? Much of it has to do with end-of-year payouts that are now in the market -- things like capital from retirement contributions and end-of-year bonuses. January sees the greatest amount of equity capital deployment in the market.

To capitalize on this historical trend, I recommend examining tech stocks that are part of the Nasdaq-100 to help your portfolio get off to a strong start in 2026.

Tech stocks have been among the best-performing names in the market over the last several quarters, thanks to the continued development of artificial intelligence. And that should continue for the next several quarters, making these names some stocks that you can buy and hold for the long term.

Here are three names I'm considering now.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Nvidia It would be hard to bet against Nvidia (NVDA 0.10%) right now, considering the massive advantages the company enjoys in supplying the infrastructure needed for AI platforms. Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs) are the gold standard for training and running high-level AI programs, and data centers bundle them by the hundreds so they can work together to process complex tasks.

Nvidia estimates that tech companies are currently spending $600 billion annually on AI infrastructure, with this number projected to reach as high as $4 trillion by 2030. And much of it's going to Nvidia's coffers -- Nvidia's revenue in the last 12 months has topped $187 billion. In the company's most recent quarterly report, it recorded $57 billion in revenue, with $51.2 billion of that as a result of data center sales.

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Nvidia's Hopper and Blackwell chips have been best-sellers, and its next-generation Rubin chip is expected to be available this year. In addition, Nvidia appears set to resume sales to China once again -- the company has clearance from the U.S. government to sell its H200 chip, and Beijing is expected to sign off soon, according to Bloomberg. That would be another tailwind for Nvidia's growth story, China sales made up 13% of Nvidia's profits in 2024, but the company was restricted from selling there in 2025.

2. Netflix Netflix (NFLX 1.18%) has solidified its position as the leading streaming service, serving more than 300 million subscribers in over 190 countries. While the company stopped reporting detailed subscriber numbers last year, it has continued to show strong revenue growth.

Metric

Q3 2024

Q4 2024

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Q2 2025

Q3 2025

Revenue

$9.825 billion

$10.247 billion

$10.543 billion

$11.079 billion

$11.510 billion

Growth (YOY)

15%

16%

12.5%

15.9%

17.2%

Earnings per share

$5.40

$4.27

$6.61

$7.19

$5.87

Data source: Netflix.

The company has introduced several innovations, including eliminating password-sharing to drive revenue, introducing a tiered subscription plan, and incorporating live sporting events. Netflix launched its own first-party adtech stack, known as Netflix Ads Suite, and the company expects to more than double its advertising revenue in 2025.

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3. Meta Platforms Meta Platforms (META +1.08%) had a great 2025, but you wouldn't know it from the stock price. Meta stock suffered in the second half of the year as investors showed concern about the company's aggressive spending on artificial intelligence. Capital expenditure spending was expected to be between $70 billion and $72 billion for the year, and management said that will increase in 2026.

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But Meta, which took a lot of criticism for burning money on its Reality Labs project, is spending this money wisely. The company's Meta AI assistant allows it to deliver personalized content and ads on Meta's massively popular social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. It operates Llama, a large language model, that allows users to create and interact with AI personas and drive even more engagement.

And that's important for Meta, which has 3.4 billion daily active users. The company saw revenue jump 26% in the third quarter, to $51.24 billion, as ad impressions increased by 14% and the average price per ad jumped by 10%.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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

The attack marks the first major incident targeting a DeFi protocol this year. Key Takeaways The hacker behind the Truebit exploit fully laundered 8,535 ETH through Tornado Cash. The Truebit team is coordinating with law enforcement and conducting a protocol review following the attack. The Truebit hacker has laundered all 8,535 ETH stolen, valued at approximately $26 million, through Tornado Cash after exploiting a smart contract vulnerability in the Truebit Protocol on January 8, according to data tracked by Lookonchain.

The #Truebit hacker has deposited all 8,535 $ETH($26.44M) they stole into #TornadoCash and laundered it.https://t.co/nYUNcqv46vhttps://t.co/JLPKkMjkUP pic.twitter.com/0unM8sK3h5

— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) January 11, 2026

The exploit marks the year’s first major DeFi breach. The attacker abused an integer overflow in a legacy smart contract to mint millions of TRU tokens at near-zero cost, then sold them back into the protocol to drain its liquidity.

Today, we became aware of a security incident involving one or more malicious actors. The affected smart contract is 0x764C64b2A09b09Acb100B80d8c505Aa6a0302EF2 and we strongly advise the public not to interact with this contract until further notice. We are in contact with law…

— Truebit (@Truebitprotocol) January 8, 2026

The attack crashed TRU by more than 99.9%, wiping out investor value.

Blockchain security firms later linked the wallet to a prior Sparkle Protocol hack, suggesting a highly sophisticated actor.

In response, the Truebit team urged users to halt interactions with the compromised contract, engaged law enforcement, and launched a comprehensive review to assess potential recovery options.

Disclaimer

Jan3 founder Samson Mow anticipates billionaire investor and Tesla CEO Elon Musk will aggressively move into Bitcoin in 2026.

It was one of five bold Bitcoin (BTC) predictions from Mow for 2026, coming off a year where several Bitcoin forecasts from prominent crypto executives missed the mark.

“@elonmusk goes hard into BTC,” Mow said in an X post on Saturday.

Musk has shown his support for cryptocurrency over the years, but has raised concerns around Bitcoin’s environmental risks. Tesla stopped taking Bitcoin payments in May 2021 due to environmental concerns. The following year, in July 2022, the electric vehicle manufacturer revealed that it had sold 75% of its Bitcoin holdings.

Bitcoin may reach seven-figure territory in 2026, says MowMow, who is no stranger to optimistic Bitcoin price targets, also predicted that Bitcoin’s price will reach $1.33 million in 2026, which is around 1,367% from its current price of $90,596, according to CoinMarketCap.

Mow told Magazine in June 2025 that Bitcoin may reach $1 million during 2025, or if not, 2026. “[It] is a given at this point, maybe this year, maybe next year.” 

Source: Samson MowIn September 2025, Mow said that an increasing number of countries are preparing to ramp up Bitcoin adoption. “I think we’re on the tail end of gradually, and we’re at the beginning phases of suddenly,” 

Mow responded to an X user on Saturday who asked, “How many of your 2025 predictions did you hit?” by saying, “Let’s not dwell on the past.”

“Never look back. Only forward,” he said.

Other executives are more conservativeOther crypto executives are not expecting such outsize returns for Bitcoin over the next 12 months.

On Dec. 28, Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan said he anticipates an upward trend, but nothing extraordinary. “I think we’re in a 10-year grind upward of strong returns. It’s not spectacular returns, [but] strong returns, lower volatility, some up and down.”

It follows several high-profile crypto executives whose bold Bitcoin price predictions in the previous year failed to materialize. 

BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes and BitMine chair Tom Lee predicted Bitcoin would reach $250,000 by the end of 2025, even as recently as October, when the cryptocurrency was trading at around half that level, after reaching an all-time high of $125,100.

Mow also predicted that the stock price of Michael Saylor’s Strategy (MSTR) would reach $5,000, an approximate 3,084% increase from its current price of $157.

He predicts Bitcoin will “outperform metals,” coming just after gold and silver hit record highs of $4,549 and $83 in December. He also said that “at least one country” will launch a Bitcoin bond.

Magazine: Trump rules out SBF pardon, Bitcoin in ‘boring sideways’: Hodler’s Digest, Jan. 4 – 10

Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently. Read our Editorial Policy https://cointelegraph.com/editorial-policy

8h05 ▪ 4 min read ▪ by Eddy S.

Summarize this article with:

Recent crypto data shows that bitcoin whales (holders of 1,000 to 10,000 BTC) have reduced their holdings by 220,000 BTC in one year. A trend that raises questions: are these “whales” anticipating a major correction or simply adjusting their portfolios?

In brief Bitcoin whales have reduced their reserves by 220,000 BTC in one year, dropping from 409,000 BTC to their current lowest level. This trend reflects increased caution, potentially linked to regulatory, geopolitical uncertainties, or anticipation of a market correction. Investors should monitor key levels ($80,000, $95,000) and adapt their strategies (DCA, diversification) to limit risks. Whales reduce their positions by 220,000 BTC On-chain data reveals a notable trend: holders of 1,000 to 10,000 bitcoins have reduced their holdings by 220,000 BTC over the past twelve months. Indeed, in March 2024, these whales’ wallets peaked at 409,000 BTC! But their volume has since significantly decreased. Why?

Regulatory uncertainties; Geopolitical tensions; The slowdown of institutional adoption could explain this trend.  Bitcoin whales have reduced their holdings by 220,000 BTC. Moreover, data shows that these bitcoin whales are gradually reducing their exposures, without panic, suggesting a risk management strategy rather than a mass dump. This caution contrasts with accumulation phases observed in previous years. However, such behavior could signal a severe correction in the coming days.

Do bitcoin whales anticipate a severe correction in the near future? Bitcoin’s history shows that massive whale sells often precede significant corrections. In 2018 and 2022, similar moves were followed by drops of more than 50%. Today, with bitcoin testing key supports around $95,000, analysts fear a bearish scenario toward $80,000.

Additionally, small holders, in capitulation phase, are also selling, intensifying selling pressure. However, not everything is bleak. Bitcoin ETFs like BlackRock’s maintain their reserves, thus limiting a sharp collapse. If interest rates drop, a liquidity recovery could reverse the trend. But for now, whales’ caution remains a signal not to be ignored.

Bitcoin: How can investors position themselves in response to whale movements? Faced with this uncertainty, bitcoin investors have several options. First for the long term, Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA) allows smoothing purchases over several months, thus reducing the risk of bad timing in the market. Platforms like Binance or Kraken facilitate this automated strategy.

Then traders must monitor key levels: $95,000 as resistance and $80,000 as critical support for bitcoin. Tools like TradingView help track these thresholds with indicators like BTC’s MACD or RSI, which can indicate BTC’s future trajectory. Currently, RSI is approaching 20 and breaking this limit could trigger an explosion.

Finally, diversifying one’s portfolio remains a wise decision. Altcoins like ethereum, or traditional assets like gold, offer a hedge against bitcoin’s volatility. In 2026, with persistent uncertainties, this balanced approach could prove rewarding.

The reduction of whales’ positions by 220,000 BTC in one year is a strong signal, but not necessarily alarming. It reflects increased caution in an uncertain market. Investors must stay vigilant, adapt their strategies, and diversify their assets. And you, how do you interpret this trend? An opportunity or a risk to avoid?

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Eddy S.

The world is evolving and adaptation is the best weapon to survive in this undulating universe. Originally a crypto community manager, I am interested in anything that is directly or indirectly related to blockchain and its derivatives. To share my experience and promote a field that I am passionate about, nothing is better than writing informative and relaxed articles.

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.

XRP is already down by double digits since its recent peak, is there more pain ahead?

Almost the entire cryptocurrency market began the new year with a bang, charting substantial gains in the span of just a few days, even as the political tension in the Americas unfolded.

Ripple’s native token was among the prime examples, as it skyrocketed by about 30% in less than a week from under $1.90 to a multi-month peak of $2.41. This came amid growing ETF inflows and declining token holdings on exchanges.

However, this rally was halted, and the asset has slumped by 13% since then to $2.10 as of press time. According to Ali Martinez, there could be more pain on the horizon for the XRP bulls.

He noted that the cross-border token could be printing a gravestone doji candle, warning that it’s “not a great look.” This setup is typically regarded as a bearish reversal candlestick pattern that looks like an upside-down “T.” It signals that the bulls’ push was rejected and could lead to a prolonged downtrend, especially if it follows an instant uptick, as it happened with XRP last week.

$XRP appears to be printing a gravestone doji.

Not a great look! pic.twitter.com/e5m4hf0lie

— Ali Charts (@alicharts) January 10, 2026

The other warning sign for XRP’s price is related to the declining whale activity. CryptoPotato reported earlier this week, right after the token’s impressive price surge, that whale-sized XRP transfers had skyrocketed by double digits to their highest levels since October.

Santiment warned that this could indicate the price movement at the time was most likely erratic and unsustainable, given the sudden rise in such transactions. More recent data shared by Martinez again shows a massive decline in this metric, which could spell further trouble for the underlying token.

You may also like: ETH, XRP, and Meme Coins Shine as Retail Sentiment Reacts to Short-Term Catalysts End of a Ripple Era: Here’s What Happened With the Spot XRP ETFs Last Week Spot XRP ETFs’ Record Green Streak Snapped as Ripple Price Plunges 13% in Days Whale activity on $XRP spiked to 433 transactions on January 6, but has since fallen to just 33. pic.twitter.com/6iuo55v7qk

— Ali Charts (@alicharts) January 9, 2026

Tags:

About the author

Jordan got into crypto in 2016 by trading and investing. He began writing about blockchain technology in 2017 and now serves as CryptoPotato's Assistant Editor-in-Chief. He has managed numerous crypto-related projects and is passionate about all things blockchain.

Crypto entrepreneur Jake Claver has filed a $30 million defamation lawsuit against XRP influencer Zach Rector, accusing him of running an online smear campaign that harmed his reputation and business.

The lawsuit was filed on January 9, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, according to court records. Claver is the founder and chief executive of Digital Ascension Group and Digital Wealth Partners.

Claver alleges that Rector published false and misleading statements in late December across X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and other platforms, accusing him of fraud, dishonesty, and misleading investors.

Lawsuit Targets December VideosAccording to the complaint, the dispute centers on videos Rector posted on December 30 and 31, 2025, including a two-part series that Claver says falsely portrayed him as covering up fraud and lying about investment returns.

The filing claims Rector referenced a 2023 lawsuit involving a private equity deal, which Claver says was settled and did not involve fraud on his part. Claver alleges the videos twisted the facts of that case to suggest ongoing misconduct.

The lawsuit accuses Rector and his company, Entrepreneur Exposed LLC, of defamation, tortious interference, and breach of contract.

Former Collaboration Turned SourCourt documents show that Claver and Rector previously worked together and appeared in multiple joint videos and live events between 2023 and 2025. They also entered into a 2025 affiliate agreement, under which Rector’s company was paid for referrals to Claver’s businesses.

That agreement, according to the lawsuit, required Rector not to make false or misleading statements about Claver’s services.

Claver alleges the relationship deteriorated after he ended an affiliate arrangement with a crypto brokerage in mid-2025. Rector allegedly maintained ties to the same brokerage, which the lawsuit describes as a competitor.

XRP Price Predictions at the CenterThe public dispute intensified after Rector criticized Claver’s high-confidence XRP price calls, including repeated claims that XRP could reach $100 by the end of 2025.

In a December 30 post on X, Rector wrote that there was “not a chance” of such a move happening and accused Claver of misleading the community by promoting certainty around speculative price targets.

Claver’s lawsuit argues that disagreement over price predictions does not justify what it calls false claims of fraud and dishonesty.

Alleged Business DamageClaver says the videos caused immediate financial harm, including lost clients, canceled onboarding deals, and withdrawals from existing investors. The lawsuit claims several potential clients cited the fraud allegations as the reason for walking away.

The complaint also states that Claver was removed as a speaker from an upcoming industry conference following the publication of the videos.

While Rector has taken down some of the disputed content, Claver argues the damage has already spread across social media, Reddit, and crypto news outlets.

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

The adtech stock continued to deliver impressive growth.

One year after it soared more than 700%, AppLovin (APP +5.06%), the adtech stock that began as a mobile gaming company, had another winning year last year as the company sold off its slow-growth games business, leveraged its AI platform, continued to deliver eye-popping growth, and expanded into new verticals like e-commerce, diversifying away from mobile games. The company also successfully rebuffed several short-seller attacks.

According to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, the stock finished the year up 108%. As you can see from the chart below, the stock got off to a slow start before surging later in the year, along with a general boom in tech and AI stocks.

APP data by YCharts

What happened with AppLovin last year AppLovin's trajectory was similar to the Nasdaq Composite last year, but more exaggerated, showing investors continued to respond to its impressive growth.

Perhaps, the company's biggest move last year was the sale of its mobile gaming business to Tripledot Studios for $400 million in cash and 20% equity in Tripledot. The move made sense for AppLovin as it makes the company a pure-play adtech stock, gives it a higher growth rate, and makes it easier for investors to analyze the stock and its future potential. Overall, the sale shows that management's focus is squarely on the growing adtech business.

AppLovin also continued to deliver impressive results in its quarterly reports. Through the first three quarters of the year, revenue jumped 72% to $1.4 billion to $3.82 billion, and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) net income rose 128% to $2.23 billion, giving the company a profit margin of nearly 60%, a good sign of competitive advantage.

The company is seeing momentum in both the gaming and non-gaming sectors, showing its expansion to new verticals has paid off. Its Axon AI advertising technology also continues to be a difference-maker.

Image source: Getty Images.

What to expect from AppLovin in 2026 AppLovin begins 2026 with high expectations for the stock after surging over the last three years due to the breakout of its adtech business.

AppLovin is expensive, trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 75, but that seems warranted due to its soaring growth. Still, the pieces look to be in place for the stock to deliver another solid year, as long as the ad market remains strong and the stock market moves higher. The company's new products are resonating. It's growing fast in Asia, and it's diversifying into new verticals.

There's still room for the stock to move higher.