Market Overview - Bitcoin mining stocks opened lower as Bitcoin's price retreated to a critical support level, trading at $90,489, down 2.28% over 24 hours, which negatively impacted mining stock valuations [1] - Major operators like MARA and Riot erased recent gains, reflecting a broader decline in cryptocurrency markets [1] Stock Performance - MARA led the losses, with shares falling 6.87% to $10.58, while Riot dropped 5.09% to $18.26 [2] - Other miners also experienced significant declines: IREN down 4.88% to $55.00, CleanSpark down 4.79% to $12.73, and Applied Digital down 6.36% to $35.02 [2] - Additional industry players recorded similar losses: Cipher down 4.79% to $17.90, Core Scientific down 4.16% to $18.11, TeraWulf down 3.10% to $13.42, and Hut 8 down 5.22% to $56.54 [3] Strategic Shifts - Bitcoin miners are increasingly attempting to decouple their stock performance from Bitcoin prices by pivoting towards high-performance computing (HPC) and AI [4] - Companies like Cipher, TeraWulf, IREN, Galaxy, and Hut 8 have signed major deals with hyperscalers or AI tech firms to support this shift [4] Recent Developments - Riot recently secured its first HPC/AI deal, acquiring its Rockdale site and entering a $311 million lease agreement with AMD, with potential contract extensions valued at approximately $1 billion [5] - CleanSpark's infrastructure advantages were noted by analysts, highlighting the value of its power assets for AI applications due to their proximity to major metropolitan areas [6] - HIVE announced plans to diversify its revenue and expand its power capacity with a 100-megawatt expansion in Paraguay, expected to be completed by 2026 [6]

Group 1 - Cipher Mining (CIFR) stock has experienced a significant decline of 24% since its closing high of $24.71 on November 5, but has recently shown strong performance with a nearly 16% increase in the past five sessions, indicating a potential recovery in the cryptocurrency sector [1] - The options market indicates a shift in sentiment towards bullish net transactions for CIFR stock, suggesting potential for further upside [2][3] - Total market capitalization of all blockchain assets is around $3.1 trillion, with a recent resurgence of greed in the crypto market reflected in positive options flow data for CIFR stock [5] Group 2 - Implied volatility (IV) data suggests that CIFR stock may experience a significant price swing for the February 20 options chain, with a projected range between $14.55 and $23.05, indicating a symmetric high-low spread of 22.61% [6] - The Black-Scholes model, while a standard for pricing derivatives, may not provide optimal forward probabilities for CIFR stock, highlighting the need for alternative analytical frameworks [7]

Core Insights - Cipher Mining Inc. is recognized as a promising investment in the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector, particularly following recent leadership appointments aimed at enhancing policy and strategic initiatives [1] Group 1: Business Expansion - Cipher Mining has diversified its operations by acquiring a 200-megawatt site in Ohio, which includes 195 acres of land and secured capacity from AEP Ohio [2] - The new site provides access to PJM, the largest wholesale electricity market in the U.S., and is suitable for high-performance computing (HPC) activities due to its size and fiber path availability [3] - With this acquisition, Cipher Mining's development pipeline has expanded to 3.4 gigawatts (GW) across eight sites, indicating a significant growth trajectory [3][4] Group 2: Strategic Focus - The company is shifting its focus from solely Bitcoin mining to also include hosting for HPC and AI infrastructure, targeting major tech companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS) for long-term revenue [7] - CEO Tyler Page emphasized the importance of this new site in expanding the company's HPC hosting business and geographical footprint, showcasing a strategic pivot towards high-performance computing [5] Group 3: Market Sentiment - Following the acquisition news, Compass Point maintained a Buy rating on Cipher Mining with a price target of $28, while Rosenblatt reduced its target from $33 to $25 but also kept a Buy rating, reflecting mixed market sentiment [6] - The financial strain on pure-play crypto miners due to rising network difficulty and falling Bitcoin prices is noted, suggesting that diversification into HPC may provide a buffer against these challenges [6]

Core Insights - Cipher Mining has transitioned from being solely a Bitcoin mining company to focusing on high-performance computing (HPC) as of late 2024, although it still relies on Bitcoin mining for revenue currently [1] - The company earned $164.2 million from Bitcoin mining in the first three quarters of 2025, indicating its current financial dependence on this sector [1] Group 1: Business Strategy and Contracts - Cipher Mining has secured significant contracts in the HPC space, differentiating itself from other mining companies that have also pivoted towards AI and HPC data centers [3] - In September 2025, Cipher entered a 10-year HPC colocation agreement with Fluidstack valued at approximately $3 billion, with potential extensions bringing the total to around $7 billion [4] - In November 2025, Cipher signed a 15-year lease agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) for AI workloads, worth approximately $5.5 billion [5] Group 2: Financial Performance and Market Position - Cipher's stock has increased by 255% over the past year, trading at 32 times trailing sales as of January 12, indicating a high valuation despite potential rapid sales growth in 2026 [5] - The agreements with Fluidstack and AWS could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue for Cipher, highlighting its growth potential in the rising demand for AI infrastructure [6]

Group 1: Bitcoin Price Movement - Bitcoin prices increased to around $92,300, marking a 1.27% rise over the last 24 hours and a 5.57% increase year-to-date [1] Group 2: Mining Stocks Performance - HIVE (NASDAQ: HIVE) saw the highest gains, with a stock price increase of 4.5% to $3.40 [1] - CleanSpark (NASDAQ: CLSK) shares rose by 2.55% to $12.26, while TeraWulf (NASDAQ: WULF) climbed 2.75% to $14.19 [2] - Bitfarms (NASDAQ: BITF) increased by 2.15% to $3.12, and IREN (NASDAQ: IREN) rose 2.13% to $51.40 [2] - Cipher Mining (NASDAQ: CIFR) shares increased by 2.09% to $18.05 [2] - MARA (NASDAQ: MARA) and Riot (NASDAQ: RIOT) also participated in the rally, with gains of 0.33% to $10.68 and 0.55% to $16.54, respectively [3] - Core Scientific (NASDAQ: CORZ) rose by 0.34% to $17.54, while Hut 8 (NASDAQ: HUT) had the smallest gain of 0.1% to $61.15 [3]

Group 1 - Cipher Mining Inc. announced the acquisition of a new 200-megawatt site in Ohio, named Ulysses, marking its first site outside of Texas and reflecting its strategy to diversify geographically [1][3] - The Ulysses site covers 195 acres and has secured power capacity from AEP Ohio, with all necessary utility agreements and interconnection approvals in place, allowing participation in the PJM market [2] - With the Ulysses project, Cipher Mining's total development pipeline has expanded to 3.4 gigawatts across 8 different sites, enhancing its operational capacity [3]

Market Overview - The market is broadening beyond technology, with materials, defense, transports, and airlines showing strong setups as 2026 begins, while technology, particularly software, is lagging [1] - The start of 2026 is characterized as 'very' bullish due to increased market participation and breakout performances in certain sectors [1] Sector Analysis - The energy sector is identified as a 'fake out' with stocks hitting resistance levels and pulling back, suggesting caution before investing [2] - The materials sector is highlighted as a breakout from a year-long base, supported by silver, gold, and packaging stocks, indicating potential for further gains [2] - The defense sector is noted for a significant breakout, suggesting strong performance ahead [2] Small-Cap Stocks Outlook - The Russell 2000 has reached all-time highs and is on track for its eighth consecutive month of gains, creating a positive backdrop for small-cap stocks in 2026 [3] - Small-cap companies are economically sensitive and benefit from lower interest rates, but only about 1% of active long managers have been beating their benchmarks over the last 18 months [3] - Despite quality small-cap stocks underperforming, the long-term earnings growth setup for small caps is more favorable compared to mid-cap, large-cap, or MAG7 stocks [3] Stock Recommendations - A list of 10 promising stocks under $50 has been compiled based on high upside potential and popularity among hedge funds [6] - The strategy of imitating top stock picks from elite hedge funds has shown significant outperformance, with a return of 427.7% since May 2014 [7] Company Highlights - **Acadia Healthcare Company Inc. (NASDAQ:ACHC)**: Current share price is $13.67 with an average upside potential of 42.54%. The company is emerging from a 3-year downturn in underwriting, with expectations for margin recovery in managed care [9][10] - **Cipher Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:CIFR)**: Current share price is $16.90 with an average upside potential of 62.21%. The company has acquired a new 200-megawatt site in Ohio, diversifying its geographical footprint and enhancing its development pipeline to 3.4 gigawatts across 8 sites [13][14][15]

Group 1: Bitcoin Mining Developments - Hut 8 is seeking zoning approval for a proposed 500 MW data center in Logan County, Illinois, with an estimated cost between $4 billion and $5 billion [3][4] - Bitcoin mining stocks are restructuring leadership to focus on AI expansions, with Cipher hiring Lee Bratcher and Drew Armstrong, and Riot appointing Jason Chang as CFO [7] Group 2: Market and Policy Updates - MSCI has decided to retain Strategy in its global indices, which is significant for bitcoin treasury companies [5][6] - Florida is making another attempt to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve [2] Group 3: Bitcoin Mining Economics - Bitcoin mining revenue metrics are currently weak, with hash prices near all-time lows, and mining difficulty has trended downward, with four of the last five adjustments being negative [8]

Market Overview - Bitcoin mining equities opened positively despite Bitcoin's price fluctuation, which dipped below $90,000 before recovering [1] - Bitcoin reached a 5-day low of $89,538 but later stabilized around $90,300, reflecting a 1% decrease over the last day [1] Company Performance - IREN (NASDAQ: IREN) and Hut 8 (NASDAQ: HUT) experienced gains, with IREN rising 6% to $46.27 and Hut 8 increasing 2.1% to $59.09 at market open [2] - Bitfarms (NASDAQ: BITF) surged 6% to $2.96, following its announcement of a strategic transition to AI and HPC workloads [2] - CleanSpark (NASDAQ: CLSK) saw a slight increase of 1% to $12.04, while Riot Platforms (NASDAQ: RIOT) remained relatively flat, up 0.20% to $15.31 [2] Other Operators - HIVE (NASDAQ: HIVE) climbed 2.5% to $3.14, TeraWulf (NASDAQ: WULF) rose 4% to $12.98, and MARA (NASDAQ: MARA) edged up 3.6% to $10.44 at market open [3] - Core Scientific (NASDAQ: CORZ) declined 0.18% to $16.21, and Cipher (NASDAQ: CIFR) slipped 0.12% to $16.06 [3]

Core Insights - Bitcoin miners are transitioning from cryptocurrency mining to high-performance computing infrastructure, with mining revenue expected to drop from approximately 85% of total revenue in early 2025 to less than 20% by the end of 2026 for companies with AI contracts [1] - This shift indicates a move from low-margin mining operations to high-margin data center contracts, with companies generating 80% to 90% operating margins from AI deals compared to the thin margins of Bitcoin mining [2] Financial Projections - By October 2025, Bitcoin miners had secured $65 billion in contracts with major technology companies and cloud service providers, with AI contracts generating three times the revenue per megawatt compared to traditional mining [3] Company Developments - Six publicly traded mining companies have announced high-performance computing contracts: Core Scientific, Cipher Mining, TeraWulf, Applied Digital, Galaxy Digital, Iris Energy, and Bit Digital [4] - Despite the pivot to AI, publicly traded mining companies increased their Bitcoin mining operations in 2025, adding more computing power in the first nine months than in the same period of 2024, driven by equipment orders placed in 2024 [5] Investment Opportunities - The CoinShares Bitcoin Mining ETF (WGMI) offers exposure to this evolving sector, investing at least 80% of its net assets in companies deriving at least 50% of their revenue from Bitcoin mining or related services, with an expense ratio of 0.75% and a return of 72.05% over the past year [6]