The crypto wipeout that vaporized $1 trillion in market value over the past three months has afflicted all corners of the industry—including the numerous crypto ventures tied to President Donald Trump’s family. But while the family’s portfolio is down across the board, some assets have been hit harder than others. Since Oct. 10, when the crypto market witnessed what’s since been dubbed the “flash crash,” the worst-performing crypto asset tied to the Trump family has been American Bitcoin’s stock. The Bi ...

Core Insights - Visa Inc. opened fiscal 2026 with a resilient quarter, showcasing its status as a dependable compounder in the payments technology market [1] - The company reported adjusted earnings of $3.17 per share, a 15% year-over-year increase, and revenue of $10.9 billion, also up 15% [3] - Visa's Value-Added Services segment saw a significant revenue increase of 28%, reaching $3.2 billion, driven by demand for various services [5] Financial Performance - Visa's adjusted earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3 cents, while revenue exceeded expectations by 1.9% [3] - Cross-border volumes grew by 12% on a constant-currency basis, and payment volumes increased by 8% [3] - Processed transactions reached 69.4 billion, marking a 9% year-over-year increase, although slightly below the consensus estimate [3] Value-Added Services - The expansion of Visa's Value-Added Services (VAS) segment is a key growth driver, with revenues surging 28% [5] - The upcoming FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games are expected to further accelerate marketing and analytics services [5] Stablecoins and Digital Infrastructure - Visa is enhancing its role in blockchain-based infrastructure, enabling banks to issue and manage stablecoins [6] - Annualized settlement volumes for stablecoins reached $4.6 billion, indicating growing adoption in cross-border transactions [6] - Management has tempered expectations for stablecoins as mainstream consumer payment tools in developed markets, citing a lack of compelling product-market fit [7] Shareholder Returns - During the quarter, Visa returned $5.1 billion to shareholders, including $3.8 billion in buybacks and $1.3 billion in dividends [11] - The company's dividend yield of 0.81% exceeds that of Mastercard and the industry average [11] Analyst Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Visa's fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027 EPS suggests increases of 11.9% and 13.3%, respectively [12] - The consensus for fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027 revenues indicates growth of 11.3% and 10.2% [12] Valuation and Market Performance - Visa's stock is trading at 24.65X forward price/earnings, above the industry average of 19.28X [16] - Over the past three months, Visa shares declined 1%, outperforming the industry's 3.4% drop [13] Conclusion - Visa's strong fiscal Q1 performance highlights the durability of its transaction-led business model, supported by steady payment growth and robust cross-border volumes [21] - Strategic investments in digital infrastructure and stablecoin settlement enhance its long-term positioning [21]

Core Insights - Dan Romero and Varun Srinivasan have joined Tempo, a blockchain focused on stablecoins, after their previous venture Farcaster was acquired [1][3] - Romero views stablecoins as a generational opportunity and aims to make them mainstream, while Srinivasan emphasizes the importance of building a global payments network that is fast, inexpensive, and transparent [2] Company Developments - Farcaster was acquired by Neynar, which will take over its smart contracts, code repositories, and other assets, as the platform struggled to gain user traction [3] - Romero plans to return all $180 million raised by Farcaster to its investors following the acquisition [4] Talent Acquisition - The move to Tempo positions Romero and Srinivasan at the forefront of the crypto industry, building on their previous experience at Coinbase [5] - Tempo has been enhancing its team, recently adding notable figures such as Dankrad Feist, Liam Horne, and Mallesh Pai [6] Project Progress - Tempo launched its testnet in December, with a full launch planned for later this year [7]

Core Insights - Axe Compute has appointed Christopher Miglino as Chief Executive Officer, emphasizing its commitment to decentralized compute and digital infrastructure at the intersection of blockchain, AI, and capital markets [1][2] Company Strategy - Under Mr. Miglino's leadership, Axe Compute plans to scale its decentralized compute business, focusing on expanding its infrastructure footprint, treasury strategy, and operational capabilities [3] - The company aims to develop an institutionalized platform that supports decentralized GPU compute and infrastructure-backed yield within public markets [2][3] Market Positioning - Axe Compute intends to serve as a bridge between evolving technologies and public market access, aligning with the long-term vision of a decentralized global economy [4][5] - The company views decentralized compute as a foundational layer for AI, Web3, and next-generation applications, presenting a compelling alternative to centralized infrastructure models [5] Leadership Transition - The transition to Mr. Miglino as CEO reflects the company's evolution from Predictive Oncology to Axe Compute, with a focus on institutional discipline, transparency, and scale in emerging technologies [4] - Mr. Miglino's responsibilities include overseeing corporate strategy, capital markets initiatives, and long-term growth roadmap [4] Inducement Award - Mr. Miglino was granted stock options to purchase 500,000 shares of the company's common stock as an inducement for his appointment, with a vesting schedule tied to his continued employment [6][7] Company Overview - Axe Compute aims to make world-class AI compute accessible through its access to the Aethir network, providing decentralized global infrastructure and instant access to bare-metal GPUs at scale [8]

Core Viewpoint - Metalpha Technology Holding Limited has adopted a BTC allocation plan that allows for up to 20% of the company's annual net profit to be allocated towards Bitcoin investments, indicating a strong belief in the cryptocurrency's potential to enhance long-term shareholder value [1][3]. Financial Summary - The authorized allocation for the current period is approximately US$3.2 million, which represents 20% of the company's reported net profit of US$15.9 million for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025 [2]. - The company executed an initial purchase of Bitcoin on February 9, 2026, with a total notional investment of around US$1 million, purchasing at an average price of approximately US$54,000 per Bitcoin [2]. Company Overview - Metalpha Technology Holding Limited is recognized as a global leader in providing blockchain and trading technology solutions, focusing on delivering advanced technological solutions for digital asset management, hedging infrastructures, and liquidity solutions [3]. - The company aims to strengthen its position as a major gateway to digital assets in Asia, leveraging its extensive expertise in both blockchain and traditional fintech [3].

Executives from Bitpanda, Dune, and Libertex identify AI agents and demographic shifts as defining forces for 2026 More than fifteen years after the Bitcoin white paper sparked a revolution in how we think about money, the cryptocurrency industry is entering a period of rapid transformation. It now sits at the intersection of three powerful forces: co-option by incumbent financial institutions, the rise of AI agents, and the shifting demographics that come with mainstream adoption. What started as a fri ...

Group 1 - XRP provides exposure to the trend of capital moving to blockchain-based management and the growth of fintech in crypto [1] - Ripple has secured a Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) license, allowing it to provide regulated crypto stablecoin payments in a key global financial hub [3] - Ripple is one of only three stablecoin providers allowed to operate in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) [3] Group 2 - XRP transactions settle in three to five seconds, with extremely low transaction fees, making it suitable for high-throughput use cases [5] - Compared to legacy systems like SWIFT, XRP reduces the number of intermediaries and delays, resulting in lower costs for cross-border money transfers [6] - XRP's design supports regulatory compliance features, facilitating token management for real-world asset tokenization [7]

Core Viewpoint - Analysts at Bernstein maintain a bullish long-term outlook for bitcoin, asserting that the current drawdown represents the weakest bear case in its history and does not undermine its broader adoption or investment thesis [2][3]. Group 1: Current Market Conditions - The analysts describe the recent price weakness as a crisis of confidence rather than a failure of the underlying system, maintaining a price target of $150,000 for bitcoin by the end of 2026 [3]. - Bernstein notes that typical catalysts associated with past bitcoin downturns, such as major failures or systemic breakdowns, have not materialized, indicating a different cycle compared to previous bear markets [4]. Group 2: Institutional Support and Market Dynamics - Strong institutional alignment is highlighted, including a pro-bitcoin U.S. president, spot bitcoin ETF adoption, and growing corporate treasury participation, which support the argument that the current market differs from past downturns [4]. - The analysts argue that bitcoin is still trading as a liquidity-sensitive risk asset rather than a mature safe haven, with tighter financial conditions benefiting select assets like precious metals and AI-linked equities [6]. Group 3: Relevance in an AI-Driven Economy - Bernstein counters claims that bitcoin is losing relevance in an AI-driven economy, suggesting that blockchain and programmable wallets are well-suited for an emerging digital environment requiring global financial rails [7]. - The advantages of blockchain systems over traditional banking infrastructure are emphasized, particularly in the context of closed APIs and legacy integration challenges [7].

Core Insights - Ethereum is positioning itself to become a key provider of AI agent infrastructure in the crypto space, which could lead to increased demand for its coin and more automated activity on its blockchain [1][3] - The introduction of the ERC-8004 standard aims to establish a framework for AI agents, potentially enhancing Ethereum's ecosystem and market for AI services [3][5] Group 1: ERC-8004 Standard - ERC-8004 is a draft Ethereum Request for Comment that defines three new data registries for AI agents: identity, reputation, and validation [4] - The standard includes an off-chain file for agents to report metadata and a mechanism for third-party feedback that smart contracts can utilize [4] - The strategic vision behind ERC-8004 is to enable AI agents to discover and validate each other on the blockchain, fostering a market for AI services on Ethereum [5] Group 2: Market Implications - If widely adopted, ERC-8004 could significantly increase traffic to Ethereum, as it provides a clear operational framework for AI agents [6] - Increased traffic may lead to higher transaction fees burned, which could support Ethereum's price as agents will need Ether to perform tasks [6] - However, the adoption of ERC-8004 is not guaranteed, as compliance with the new standards is optional for developers, and the process of standard adoption can be lengthy [7]

Core Insights - AIxCrypto Inc. is focused on integrating AI and blockchain technologies to create a Web3 ecosystem, with a recent update highlighting collaboration with FF EAI-Robotics [1][4] Group 1: Business Strategy - The robotics owned by users will act as gateways into the AIxC ecosystem, contributing to the infrastructure that bridges physical value on-chain [2] - The EAI Brain & Open-Source platform is expected to enhance AIxC's on-chain execution and data availability, attracting developers and users to the ecosystem [3] - AIxC has entered a non-binding letter of intent with FF EAI-Robotics to explore collaboration opportunities in Web3 [4] Group 2: Market Commentary - The company acknowledges recent stock price volatility, attributing it to broader macroeconomic conditions and market sentiment rather than changes in business fundamentals [4] - AIxC remains committed to its long-term strategy, focusing on product development, regulatory compliance, and transparent communication with shareholders [5]