Market Overview - Bitcoin surpassed $93,500, gaining over 2% in 24 hours, driven by steady inflation data, political instability, and renewed interest in crypto as a macro hedge [1] - Altcoins such as ether (ETH) and BNB also saw increases, with ETH rising 1.7% to $3,185 and BNB up over 1.5%, while the broader market, measured by the CoinDesk 20 index, increased by 1.4% [2] Economic Indicators - The U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) for December remained steady at 2.7%, with core CPI lower than analyst expectations, reinforcing the Federal Reserve's soft landing narrative [1][3] - Lower interest rates are expected to enhance the appeal of risk assets, including cryptocurrencies [3] Market Resistance and Predictions - Bitcoin needs to break through the $93,500-$95,000 resistance zone, which has limited price increases for nearly two months [4] - If retail sales and housing data confirm consumer resilience, a decisive break of the resistance could lead to a run towards $100,000 before the end of the month [7] Legislative Developments - The digital asset market structure legislation is progressing in the Senate, potentially providing a "seal of approval" for institutional capital if passed [5] - The bill includes compromises on stablecoin yields and protections for decentralized finance (DeFi) [5] Political Context - Political tensions, particularly between President Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Powell, are raising concerns about the Fed's independence, with a Supreme Court ruling on federal tariff authority expected to impact the dollar and risk assets [6]

Group 1: Nio's Performance - Nio's shares have dropped by more than 90% over the past five years due to revenue deceleration and lack of profitability [1] - Despite the expiration of the U.S. EV tax credit, Nio reported a 54.6% year-over-year increase in vehicle deliveries in December 2025 [1] Group 2: SoFi's Growth and Profitability - SoFi has relaunched its crypto trading feature, which could serve as a long-term catalyst for growth [4] - The company has seen its profit margins expand, achieving double-digit net profit margins and a 38% year-over-year increase in net sales [7] - SoFi's commitment to blockchain is evident with the launch of a fully reserved stablecoin, indicating a deepening engagement in the crypto space [5]

Core Insights - Iren, a vertically integrated data center operator, has seen a significant stock price increase of 9.34% to close at $50.33, marking a 106% growth since its IPO in 2021 [1][4] - The trading volume for Iren reached 52 million shares, which is 37% above its three-month average, indicating renewed investor interest in crypto-exposed AI infrastructure [1][2] Company Overview - Iren initially focused on Bitcoin mining but is now pivoting towards high-performance AI computing due to rising demand for compute capacity driven by AI advancements [4] - The company is leveraging consistent revenue from its crypto mining operations to facilitate its transition into a fully integrated AI cloud complex [4] Market Context - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite saw slight increases of 0.15% and 0.26%, respectively, reflecting a broader positive sentiment in the market [3] - Peers in the capital markets, such as Mara Holdings and Riot Platforms, also experienced gains, indicating a trend among companies involved in Bitcoin and AI [3] Investment Potential - Iren has been identified as a top AI pick for 2026 by Bernstein analyst Gautam Chhugani, largely due to a nearly $10 billion AI cloud contract with Microsoft [5] - The company is actively raising capital to expand its compute capacity, suggesting potential for future deals and growth opportunities [5]

Core Insights - Standard Chartered is planning to establish a crypto prime brokerage within its SC Ventures unit, aiming to enhance its presence in the digital assets space as global banks intensify competition for institutional crypto flows [1][3] Group 1: Strategic Initiatives - The new crypto prime brokerage will be part of SC Ventures, which has already invested in digital asset infrastructure, including Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets [3] - Standard Chartered became the first global systemically important bank to offer spot crypto trading to institutional clients in July [3] - SC Ventures is also developing Project37C, a digital-asset joint venture that will provide custody, tokenization, and market access, indicating overlapping capabilities with the planned prime brokerage [4] Group 2: Industry Context - Major banks are increasingly moving into digital assets despite ongoing regulatory discussions about crypto capital rules [5] - U.S. spot crypto ETFs currently manage approximately $140 billion in assets, highlighting the growing institutional interest in the crypto market [6] - The establishment of prime brokerages is viewed as essential infrastructure for the next phase of growth in the crypto sector [6] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Other banks, such as JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley, are also exploring crypto trading and investment products, indicating a competitive environment among financial institutions [5] - Standard Chartered's move reflects a broader trend where global banks are aiming to compete across the entire crypto market stack, not just peripheral services [7] Group 4: Regional Developments - Standard Chartered, along with Bank Malaysia and Capital A, is exploring the development of a ringgit-pegged stablecoin, further solidifying its commitment to the digital asset ecosystem in Malaysia [8]

Core Viewpoint - BitGo is aiming to raise up to $201 million in its initial public offering (IPO), with a valuation of approximately $1.85 billion, based on the midpoint of its offering range [1] Group 1: IPO Details - The company plans to sell 11 million shares priced between $15 to $17 each in the IPO, as per an updated filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission [2] - An additional 821,595 shares are being offered by insiders [2] - If shares are priced at the midpoint, BitGo is set to receive $156.4 million in net proceeds from the IPO [3] Group 2: Financial Performance - Revenue surged to nearly $10 billion in the first nine months of 2025, up from $1.9 billion during the same period the previous year, primarily due to high-volume trading and digital asset settlement services [4] - The net income for the first nine months of 2025 reached $35.3 million, an increase from $21.2 million in the prior year [4] Group 3: Regulatory Developments - BitGo has recently received conditional approval from U.S. regulators to operate as a national trust bank, which may enable it to qualify as a stablecoin issuer under the new federal GENIUS Act [5]

Standard Chartered is reportedly exploring the launch of a prime brokerage business for crypto trading. People familiar with the matter say the London-based lender plans to house the initiative within SC Ventures, its wholly owned venture capital and innovation arm, as discussions remain at an early stage. While no launch timeline has been confirmed, the move would place Standard Chartered among a growing group of global banks seeking deeper exposure to crypto markets. The demand for prime brokerage has ...

Core Viewpoint - Stock futures are experiencing declines, while digital assets are showing an upward trend, behaving more like safe-haven assets [1] Group 1 - Stock futures are under pressure, indicating a bearish sentiment in traditional markets [1] - Digital assets are rising, suggesting a shift in investor preference towards these assets during uncertain market conditions [1]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the current state of the cryptocurrency market, highlighting trends and potential investment opportunities in the sector [3]. Group 1: Market Trends - The cryptocurrency market has shown significant volatility, with fluctuations in prices impacting investor sentiment [3]. - Increased regulatory scrutiny is influencing market dynamics, leading to both challenges and opportunities for investors [3]. Group 2: Investment Opportunities - Certain cryptocurrencies are emerging as potential investment opportunities due to their unique use cases and technological advancements [3]. - The growing adoption of blockchain technology across various industries is expected to drive demand for cryptocurrencies in the long term [3].

Core Insights - Both retail and institutional investors are optimistic about fintech stocks in 2026, while interest in crypto stocks is declining [1][2] - The survey by Mizuho indicates a bullish sentiment towards fintech, with retail investors showing a 3.1x attractiveness ratio and institutional investors a 2.7x ratio compared to 2025 [3] Fintech Sector - Investors are particularly excited about the consumer lending space, highlighting companies like SoFi Technologies, Affirm Holdings, and Upstart [4] - Retail investors show enthusiasm for payment and checkout stocks such as PayPal, while institutional investors prefer payment networks like Visa and Mastercard [4] Crypto Sector - There is a bearish sentiment among institutional investors regarding crypto treasury companies, with notable declines in stock prices, such as a 50% drop for Strategy [5] - Both retail and institutional investors are uncertain about the future of crypto in 2026, with 53% of retail and 58% of institutional investors expecting an improvement over 2025, but lacking a clear direction [6] - Retail investors have mixed feelings about crypto/retail exchanges, ranking them as both the best (19%) and worst (16%) sectors [7]

Core Insights - MSCI's decision not to exclude companies with large digital-asset treasuries from its stock indexes positively impacts Strategy Inc. (MSTR), alleviating a significant near-term risk for the company [1][4][11] Group 1: Stock Performance and Market Reaction - Following MSCI's announcement, Strategy shares increased by approximately 6% in after-hours trading, marking a recovery after a decline of about 47.5% in 2025 [2][11] - Over the past year, Strategy shares have decreased by 51.2%, underperforming the Zacks Finance sector's increase of 19.2% and the Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry's decline of 9.2% [9] Group 2: MSCI's Review and Implications - MSCI will conduct a broader review of how digital-asset-holding companies are treated in its indexes, rather than implementing an immediate exclusion [3][6] - Digital Asset Treasury Companies, including Strategy, will remain in MSCI indexes through the February 2026 review, reducing uncertainty around index eligibility [4][11] Group 3: Financial Position and Losses - Strategy reported a substantial unrealized loss of $17.44 billion on its bitcoin holdings in the fourth quarter of 2025, highlighting the volatility associated with its investment strategy [5][11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MSTR's 2026 earnings is projected at $51.60 per share, indicating a year-over-year decline of 33.88% [16] Group 4: Competitive Landscape - Coinbase Global (COIN) competes with Strategy by providing indirect exposure to Bitcoin through transaction fees and has increased its bitcoin holdings to $3.6 billion as of September 30, 2025 [7] - MARA Holdings (MARA) employs a dual approach of large-scale Bitcoin mining and strategic accumulation, holding 52,850 BTC at the end of the third quarter of 2025, which enhances its earnings stability [8]