Artificial intelligence is being reframed as a fundamental utility rather than a purely productivity unlock, according to Jensen Huang, the founder of Nvidia. In a blog post this week, Huang portrays AI as essential infrastructure on par with electricity and the internet. He argues the facilities that design chips, operate data centers, and deploy AI applications represent the largest infrastructure buildout in human history. The sentiment is tempered by the recognition that the job of constructing and maintaining this ecosystem will be enormous, spanning a wide array of skilled trades. The analysis arrives as Nvidia (NVDA) continues to benefit from surging demand for AI hardware, a cycle that has propelled its stock higher in the past 18 months. (EXCHANGE: NVDA)

Huang’s “five-layer cake” concept frames AI infrastructure as a stacked, interdependent system. In his view, energy supplies the base; AI chips drive computation; the underlying infrastructure enables services and platforms; AI models provide reasoning and intelligence; and applications translate capabilities into real-world use cases. The blog argues that the architecture must be rebuilt almost from scratch to accommodate autonomous reasoning, real-time inference, and on-demand intelligence, rather than merely following stored instructions. This restructuring implies not only new factories and fabs but also a reimagining of operational workflows across industries. The five-layer framework has quickly become a touchstone for executives and policymakers contemplating how to allocate capital and talent in the AI era.

AI isn’t a single model. It’s a full stack.
Energy. Chips. Infrastructure. Models. Applications.
That’s the five-layer cake powering the largest industrial buildout in history — and the jobs, factories and AI applications rising with it. pic.twitter.com/rwxO6fdTnE — NVIDIA Newsroom

Huang notes that much of this infrastructure has yet to exist and requires a workforce that is still in short supply. The emerging demand for AI data centers—capable of housing powerful GPUs, high-speed networks, and robust cooling—will demand electricians, plumbers, steelworkers, network technicians, and operators. These are not entry-level roles; they require specialized training and experience, aligning with a broader push for skilled labor across advanced manufacturing and digital-enabled services. As the AI buildout accelerates, Huang argues, the scale of the opportunity will extend beyond any single country or sector, touching a wide spectrum of industries and geographies.

The AI boom’s corporate beneficiaries have become a focal point for investors. Nvidia, already a dominant supplier of AI accelerators, has emerged as one of the biggest winners in the current cycle. Its shares have surged more than 1,300% since 2023, a rally that followed the public release of ChatGPT and the ensuing AI race. The company’s role at the center of both the hardware ecosystem and the software-enabled AI pipeline has reinforced its status as a core proxy for AI demand, even as critics argue the cycle may be tempered by regulatory scrutiny, supply chain constraints, and macro headwinds. (EXCHANGE: NVDA)

Within this broader narrative, Huang’s comments echo a larger industry trend: the AI data-center expansion is reshaping employment patterns and wage prospects in specialized trades. A recent wave of corporate restructurings—at Block, Pinterest, and Dow—has highlighted how AI-enabled efficiency and automation are influencing staffing decisions. Block, Inc. announced a large-scale workforce reduction, a move its co-founder attributed in part to AI-enabled restructuring. Pinterest and Dow also cited AI as a driver for workforce reductions, underscoring a common theme: automation and AI adoption can compress roles while intensifying demand for high-skilled positions in AI hardware, data-center operations, and software engineering. Analysts at Goldman Sachs have characterized AI-driven layoffs as visible but modest, suggesting the macro impact on unemployment might be gradual even as the technology accelerates. (EXCHANGE: SQ)

The story also intersects with broader market dynamics. Nvidia’s ascent underscores the hardware supply chain’s centrality to AI-enabled growth, a trend that has implications for other technology equities and for sectors linked to data-center energy consumption. The AI infrastructure cycle is a reminder that the push into AI is not merely a software upgrade; it is a capital-intensive, global effort that requires policy alignment, capital allocation, and a capable workforce. As capital continues to flow into data centers, chip manufacturing, and related services, the demand for skilled labor, reliable power, and resilient networks is likely to remain a core feature of the investment landscape. (EXCHANGE: NVDA)

AI’s footprint in the economy is expanding rapidly, and Huang’s framework suggests a multi-decade horizon for the buildout. AI data centers will need not only hardware but also the operational expertise to install, maintain, and secure complex systems. The labor market for skilled trades—traditionally insulated from pure software cycles—could see persistent demand for technicians who can design, install, and upgrade AI-ready infrastructure. This reality may influence everything from wage dynamics to vocational training programs, and it could even shape incentives for crypto mining and other power-intensive activities that rely on cost-effective, scalable AI-capable hardware and energy platforms. The net effect is a gradual, rather than explosive, reallocation of resources toward AI-enabled capabilities across industries. (EXCHANGE: PINS; EXCHANGE: DOW)

As the AI narrative matures, investors and policymakers will be watching how the five-layer cake translates into real-world deployments and jobs. Huang’s estimate that “hundreds of billions” have already been invested, with trillions more to come, highlights the scale of the opportunity—and the risk of bottlenecks in supply chains, talent, and regulatory frameworks. In parallel, financial markets will assess whether the AI infrastructure cycle can sustain a broader earnings and growth trajectory for hardware suppliers, cloud providers, and software developers delivering AI-powered services. The cross-currents—tech capex, energy demand, labor shortages, and macro risk sentiment—will continue to shape how this AI era unfolds. (EXCHANGE: NVDA; EXCHANGE: SQ; EXCHANGE: PINS; EXCHANGE: DOW)

Why it matters

For investors, Huang’s framework reframes AI from a short-term optimization trend to a structural, capital-intensive expansion that will require a steady inflow of funding and a highly skilled workforce. The implied long horizon for infrastructure expenditure could sustain demand for AI accelerators, data-center gear, and software ecosystems for years, potentially supporting a more durable equity narrative for hardware-centric players and cloud providers. For builders and operators, the emphasis on a multi-layer stack underscores the importance of resilient, scalable energy, cooling, and networking capabilities. It also highlights the need for training pipelines that can deliver electricians, technicians, engineers, and operators who understand AI workloads from edge to core. For policy and macro participants, the discussion points to the macroeconomic implications of a large-scale industrial transition that could influence employment, wage dynamics, and regional competitiveness as nations compete to attract investment in AI-enabled infrastructure.

From a market-structure perspective, the AI infrastructure wave intersects with broader sectoral trends, including data-center consolidation, hyperscale capacity expansion, and the ongoing evolution of industrial tech. While the short-term price moves in any given stock or token can be volatile, the longer-term signal is one of sustained, capital-intensive growth in a space that sits at the convergence of compute, energy, and human capital. Crypto markets, which have historically been sensitive to energy pricing, risk sentiment, and technology cycles, may experience indirect effects as AI-driven optimization and automation influence energy demand, hardware pricing, and risk-off/ risk-on dynamics across tech-heavy equities. The net takeaway is a cycle that rewards suppliers of AI hardware, creators of AI software, and the labor ecosystem that will build and maintain the infrastructure of the AI era.

What to watch next

• Capital expenditure plans from Nvidia and peers to expand AI data-center capacity, with quarterly updates and guidance.
• Trends in skilled-labor supply for AI infrastructure, including training program developments and wage indicators for electricians, network technicians, and operators.
• Regulatory developments affecting AI deployment, energy efficiency standards, and data-center permitting in key markets.
• Announcements of new AI-enabled products or services from leading cloud providers and hardware suppliers, including integration of AI models into enterprise workflows.

Sources & verification

• Jensen Huang’s blog post outlining the “five-layer cake” framework: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/ai-5-layer-cake/
• Article discussing AI data centers and bitcoin mining considerations: https://cointelegraph.com/news/ai-data-centers-local-resistance-bitcoin-mining
• NVIDIA becomes a leading AI boom beneficiary (AI hardware dominance): https://cointelegraph.com/news/nvidia-becomes-first-4t-market-cap-company-on-ai-boom
• Block, Inc. layoffs attributed to AI-driven restructuring: https://cointelegraph.com/news/jack-dorsey-block-cuts-4000-jobs-ai-restructuring
• Pinterest and Dow announcements linking AI to workforce reductions: https://cointelegraph.com/news/ai-use-work-causing-brain-fry-say-researchers
• Goldman Sachs analysis on AI-driven layoffs and unemployment trends: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/goldman-sachs-warns-ai-fueled-layoffs-could-raise-the-unemployment-rate-this-year-chart-154251740.html

What the story means for the market

The trajectory Huang sketches positions AI infrastructure as a multiyear, capital-intensive cycle that could recalibrate how investors value hardware suppliers, cloud platforms, and enterprise software tied to AI workloads. As the industry navigates talent shortages, energy considerations, and macro uncertainties, the sector’s performance will hinge on the pace of data-center expansion, the efficiency of AI training and inference pipelines, and the alignment of policy with rapid technology adoption.

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Rising interest in XRP is pushing investors to explore passive income strategies, with platforms like NOW DeFi gaining attention for cloud mining and automated crypto earnings.

As sentiment in the cryptocurrency market begins to recover, XRP has once again become one of the focal points for investors. Discussions surrounding XRP’s future price potential have intensified in recent weeks, with some analysts even speculating whether the asset could see a sharp surge in a very short period if market momentum continues to strengthen.

While the idea of XRP reaching $100 within a single day remains largely speculative, a more practical trend is becoming clear: an increasing number of retail investors are no longer focusing solely on price movements but are also searching for cryptocurrency investment methods that can generate consistent income.

Amid rising market volatility, passive income, automated earnings strategies, and low-barrier participation models are becoming new areas of interest. Particularly as popular assets like XRP regain market attention, some investors are turning their focus toward cloud mining, DeFi yield products, and automated digital asset platforms.

What passive income opportunities are XRP investors exploring?

In the current market environment, many investors are increasingly looking for opportunities that offer:

• Income models that do not rely on frequent trading
• Participation methods that require little technical expertise
• Platform-based services that can grow alongside the crypto market

Among these options, cloud mining is re-emerging as a popular choice among investors.

Compared with traditional hardware-based mining, cloud mining eliminates the need to purchase expensive mining machines or manage electricity, cooling, and maintenance costs. Users simply register on a platform and select a contract to participate in cryptocurrency mining through remote computing power.

For retail investors who are watching XRP’s price action while also seeking passive income opportunities, this model is becoming increasingly attractive.

Five passive income strategies XRP investors are paying attention to

1. Digital Asset Staking

Staking is one of the most common passive income strategies. By locking certain digital assets, users can earn rewards distributed by platforms or blockchain protocols.

This method is relatively easy to use, though returns are often closely tied to the volatility of the underlying asset.

2. DeFi Yield Protocols

DeFi protocols allow users to generate returns through liquidity provision, lending, or yield aggregation.

While flexible, these strategies often require a higher level of risk awareness and understanding.

3. Automated Trading Strategies

Some platforms offer quantitative or automated trading strategies designed to capture opportunities in volatile markets.

However, such products can be more complex and rely heavily on the platform’s trading algorithms.

4. Cloud Mining Platforms

Cloud mining is increasingly viewed as an alternative to traditional cryptocurrency mining.

Instead of purchasing hardware, users can access mining power through cloud-based platforms and participate in the mining rewards of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

For investors seeking a lower technical barrier and more automated income generation, this approach is gaining traction.

5. Platforms Combining Cloud Mining and DeFi

As more platforms integrate infrastructure with yield mechanisms, services that combine cloud mining with DeFi features are attracting a new wave of crypto users.

These platforms typically emphasize simplified registration, automated reward distribution, and streamlined user experiences.

Why NOW DeFi is attracting attention from XRP and crypto investors

Among the many platforms available today, NOW DeFi is gradually becoming a topic of discussion within the market.

For investors looking to shift from pure price speculation toward passive income strategies, NOW DeFi offers a more direct entry point. The platform combines cloud mining infrastructure with DeFi-based reward mechanisms while simplifying the participation process.

For many users who have previously focused on trading assets such as XRP, BTC, or ETH, platforms like NOW DeFi are increasingly seen as a potential “second income curve” within the crypto ecosystem.

Key features of NOW DeFi include:

Free Hash Power Rewards
New users can claim a free mining reward upon registration to experience the platform’s mining services.

Daily Earnings Settlement
The platform supports automated daily reward distribution, reducing the need for manual management.

AI Hash Power Optimization Technology
Dynamic resource allocation helps improve overall mining efficiency.

Renewable Energy Mining Infrastructure
The platform’s mining operations are located in regions rich in renewable energy resources.

According to platform information, its mining infrastructure is primarily distributed across:

• Norway
• Canada
• Iceland
• Sweden
• Paraguay
• Uruguay

These regions offer relatively low energy costs and stable renewable energy supplies, supporting efficient mining operations.

Example mining plans

It is important to note that actual returns may vary depending on market conditions, network difficulty changes, and platform policies.

Why These Platforms Are Attracting More XRP Investors

XRP investors are typically highly sensitive to market trends and are often willing to explore new opportunities when the market becomes active.

When popular assets regain attention, investors often begin searching for answers to questions such as:

• Which platforms can provide passive income?
• Which strategies do not require constant trading?
• Which services are suitable for beginners?

As a result, during periods of heightened market interest, cloud mining platforms and automated yield services tend to gain additional visibility.

Conclusion

Whether XRP can truly reach $100 within a single day remains uncertain, but one clear trend is emerging across the cryptocurrency industry: investors are increasingly shifting their focus from single price movements toward more sustainable income models.

From staking and DeFi to cloud mining and automated yield services, passive income strategies are becoming an important consideration for retail investors managing digital asset portfolios.

For users interested in exploring alternative income opportunities beyond XRP price speculation, NOW DeFi offers a relatively simple way to participate. Users can register by visiting the official NOW DeFi website or downloading the mobile application. After registration, new users can claim the platform’s free hash power reward and begin participating in cloud mining without purchasing mining hardware.

Elon Musk said late Tuesday that the payments features on social application X will go live next month.

Dubbed X Money, the feature turns X into a fintech app with peer-to-peer transfers, bank deposits, a debit card, cashback re

The platform is licensed in over 40 U.S. states through subsidiary X Payments and has Visa as a partner for account funding.

Dogecoin rallied as much as 8%, before reversing gains, after the annoucement despite it containing zero references to crypto. It hit nearly $0.10 over the past day before settling around $0.093, making it the best-performing major crypto over both 24-hour and seven-day periods.

The reflexive move reflects a pattern that has played out multiple times since 2021. Musk says something about X payments, and DOGE pumps on speculation he’ll integrate it.

Musk has called dogecoin his “favorite cryptocurrency” and Tesla accepted DOGE for merchandise in 2022. But X Money as described is a pure fiat product, with peer-to-peer transfers, bank linking, debit card. That’s closer to Venmo with a social media app attached, not a crypto wallet.

As such, X’s head of product Nikita Bier said in February that crypto trading tools would come to X through Smart Cashtags, but clarified the platform wouldn’t execute trades or act as a brokerage.

It would provide data and links that redirect users to exchanges. Musk recently reposted a third-party forecast of X Money’s future features that included “crypto integration,” but the company hasn’t confirmed anything.

The more interesting question for crypto markets isn’t whether DOGE gets added. It’s the 6% yield.

Six percent on a balance inside a social media app used by hundreds of millions of people is higher than virtually every U.S. savings account and competitive with money market funds. Whether it’s subsidized by X to drive adoption, generated by lending deposits, or backed by some other mechanism matters enormously for how regulators view it.

The timing collides with Congress fighting over the CLARITY Act, which would set rules for yield-bearing stablecoin products.

The Senate Banking Committee is targeting mid-to-late March for markup. The core policy question is whether non-bank platforms should be allowed to offer deposit-like yields to consumers.

X Money isn’t a stablecoin product, but it’s targeting the exact same consumer demand, people looking for better returns than their bank offers, through a different regulatory path.

If X Money launches at scale with 6% APY before the CLARITY Act passes, it creates an awkward comparison. A fiat fintech product inside a social media app gets to offer yields that crypto stablecoin products are being legislated out of.

Ethereum’s network activity has surged to all-time highs across multiple metrics, but the growth has failed to lift ether’s price or boost fee generation at the base layer.

A weekly report from analytics firm CryptoQuant published March 10 found that daily active addresses on Ethereum approached 2 million in February 2026, exceeding peaks seen during the 2021 bull market. Active addresses are unique blockchain wallet addresses that have sent or received a transaction within a specific timeframe, like the past 24 hours

Smart contract calls, or codes on blockchain telling it to do something specific, topped 40 million per day, and token transfers driven by internal contract interactions also set records. The findings point to broad adoption across DeFi, stablecoins and automated protocol activity, even as investment demand for ether has weakened.

Record network user activity typically bodes well for the market value of the blockchain’ native token. But that’s not the case with Ethereum.

It’s native token ether is down roughly 30% over the last six months, and the one-year change in Ethereum’s realized capitalization has turned negative, indicating net capital outflows from the market.

Exchange flow data from CryptoQuant shows ether moving to trading venues at a faster rate relative to bitcoin, a pattern consistent with elevated selling pressure.

Focus on capital flows

CryptoQuant argued that capital flows, rather than network activity, now explain ETH price dynamics more effectively.

In prior cycles, particularly 2018 and 2021, rising on-chain activity coincided with price rallies. That relationship has weakened. The firm’s scatter analysis showed recent observations clustering at high activity levels but relatively low prices, suggesting incremental usage growth now has less explanatory power for ether’s valuation.

The fee picture reinforces the disconnect. Data from DefiLlama shows Ethereum generated roughly $10.3 million in transaction fees over the past 30 days, placing it third behind Tron at nearly $25 million and Solana at about $20 million.

On a revenue basis, the gap widens further. Ethereum ranked fifth in 30-day protocol revenue at $1.22 million, trailing Tron as well as Polygon, Base and Solana. Base, an Ethereum layer-2 network built by Coinbase, generated roughly three times Ethereum’s protocol revenue over the same period.

The disparity reflects the growing role of Ethereum’s layer-2 ecosystem. Networks such as Base and Polygon process large volumes of transactions while paying relatively small settlement costs back to the base chain, distributing economic activity across the broader Ethereum ecosystem rather than concentrating it on the base layer.

Stablecoins remain a bright spot for adoption. Ethereum hosts approximately $162 billion in stablecoin supply, roughly 52% of the global market, according to DefiLlama. Yet that activity has not translated into proportional value capture for ether itself.

Ethereum may be busier than ever, but the blockchain’s native asset is capturing less of the value created on top of it.

Michael Saylor’s Strategy, the world’s largest public holder of Bitcoin, sold a record amount of its perpetual preferred equity, Stretch (STRC), after amending its sales rules on Monday.

Strategy is estimated to have bought 1,420 Bitcoin (BTC) in a single day after selling roughly 2.4 million STRC shares through its at-the-market (ATM) program, according to data from STRC.live. The amount marks the largest estimated daily issuance of STRC and BTC purchases, surpassing the previous record of 1,069 BTC, according to a Monday X post from STRC.live.

Strategy announced a major rule change to its at-the-market (ATM) share sales program on Monday, allowing a second agent to sell the securities before the US market opens and after it closes, easing a prior restriction limiting such sales to one agent per trading day.

STRC is one of the major pillars of Strategy’s Bitcoin buying

STRC is Strategy’s variable-rate perpetual preferred stock, launched in July 2025 as one of several securities the company uses to help fund its Bitcoin treasury strategy, alongside other ATM programs such as Stride (STRD), Strife (STRF), Strike (STRK) and common stock (MSTR). Strategy says the stock pays monthly variable cash dividends, with the annualized rate for March set at 11.5%.

Some market observers said the updated sales structure could make it easier for Strategy to issue stock more efficiently during premarket and after-hours trading, potentially accelerating future capital raises tied to Bitcoin purchases.

“A lot more capital will be raised, and a lot more Bitcoin will be purchased,” market observer Ragnar said.

According to STRC.live, last week’s estimate suggested STRC proceeds would fund a weekly purchase of approximately 4,300 BTC ($303 million). However, the actual purchase exceeded expectations, as Strategy reported selling around $378 million in STRC in its filing with the SEC on Monday.

Related: Oil tumbles, crypto gains as Trump sends mixed signals over Iran war

The company reported a massive $1.3 billion BTC purchase, marking one of its largest Bitcoin acquisitions on record. Common stock MSTR accounted for the largest proceeds in reported sales, generating nearly $900 million in proceeds.

The results for STRC underscore ongoing rapid acceleration in investor interest, despite the Bitcoin price trading below Strategy’s reported average cost basis of $75,862.

Magazine: The debate over Bitcoin’s four-year cycle is over: Benjamin Cowen