In 2025, OpenAI raised funding at a $300 billion valuation. That number didn’t come from a single product launch or a breakthrough sitting in a lab somewhere. It came from usage, hundreds of millions of people opening ChatGPT every day, asking it questions, writing code with it, drafting emails through it, editing documents, building entire workflows around it, for years on end. That accumulated usage is the actual asset behind the valuation. It’s what proved the product worked at scale, what justified the pricing, and what ultimately convinced investors the company was worth funding at that number. 

However, none of the people who generated that usage own any part of what it built. They paid a subscription, used the product, and walked away with nothing beyond the product itself. Stargate LLM is built around a different premise: that the people generating a platform’s usage should have a way to benefit from the value that usage creates, not just the company running it.

Where the $300 Billion Actually Came From

This isn’t a criticism of OpenAI’s business model so much as a description of how it works, and how every major AI platform’s valuation works. A company’s worth is built on engagement, retention, and the size of its active user base. ChatGPT’s usage numbers are the reason a $300 billion valuation was possible at all. Anthropic followed a similar trajectory, crossing $30 billion in annualized revenue in April 2026, again driven by daily usage from people using Claude for work, research, and everyday tasks.

The structure is consistent across the industry: users generate the data, the engagement, and the subscription revenue that make these companies valuable. The equity upside from that value sits with venture capital firms and early investors. The people doing the actual using never had an ownership stake to begin with, so there’s nothing for them to be paid out from.

Why This Structure Exists

This isn’t unique to AI. It’s how venture-backed software has worked for two decades. Google’s search engine ran on free usage from billions of people while a small group of early backers and employees became billionaires. The pattern repeats because private companies aren’t required to offer public equity, and by the time an IPO happens, if it happens at all, the earliest and steepest growth has usually already occurred. The users who built the company’s value in the meantime were never in a position to hold any of it.

AI has simply made this pattern more visible, because the scale is bigger and the growth is faster. A $300 billion valuation built substantially on usage is a bigger number than most historical examples, which is part of why it’s drawing more attention now than the same dynamic did with earlier tech platforms.

What Stargate LLM Does Differently

Stargate LLM is built around a different assumption: that usage itself should generate a return for the person doing the using, not just for the company running the platform. The mechanism for this is Proof of Usage, one of the largest allocations in Stargate’s tokenomics, with 50% of the total 150 billion coin supply, 75 billion Stargate coins, set aside specifically to reward users for real platform activity: conversational AI queries, image and video generation, referrals, staking, and structured feedback that improves the models.

This is a structural difference, not a marketing claim. The Stargate coin is required for core platform functions, subscriptions, credits, premium model access, which means usage and coin demand are directly connected from day one. Staking in the Stargate Vault adds a second layer: locked coins earn rewards drawn from platform revenue and the usage rewards pool, with governance votes determining how a portion of that revenue gets distributed to stakers over time. It means that the people generating the platform’s usage have a mechanism to benefit from that usage that ChatGPT and Claude’s user bases simply don’t have.

Stargate’s presale is where early access to this model is currently priced. It runs across ten escalating batches, from $0.0005 up to $0.0125, building toward a $0.025 launch price target, with Batch 1 entering at a 50x ratio to that target. Of the fixed 150 billion coin supply, 96% is allocated to community, ecosystem, and presale participants, with just 1% going to the core team, a deliberate contrast to the ownership concentration typical of venture-backed AI companies.

The Bottom Line

OpenAI’s $300 billion valuation and Anthropic’s $30 billion in revenue are both real, and both were built substantially on usage from people who hold no stake in either outcome. That’s not a flaw specific to those two companies; it’s how the current AI industry is structured almost everywhere, from Google to SpaceX to every major venture-backed platform before them. Stargate LLM’s bet is that a meaningful share of AI’s next phase of growth can be built differently, with usage rewarded directly rather than only benefiting the platform running it. The mechanism for that already exists in the tokenomics: Proof of Usage rewards, Vault staking, and governance-directed revenue distributions, all tied to the same coin users are already spending on the platform. The presale is where that structure starts, open to anyone with a wallet, not just the investors who got there first.

Explore Stargate LLM:

Website: Stargate.org

Buy: own.Stargate.com

Telegram: https://t.me/StargatellmOfficial

Twitter/X: https://x.com/Stargatellm

Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.

TeraWulf has secured a 20-year lease with Anthropic expected to generate nearly $19 billion in contracted revenue, sending the Bitcoin miner’s stock sharply higher despite weakness across crypto-related equities.

AI infrastructure becomes TeraWulf’s biggest growth driver

According to a press release from TeraWulf, the Bitcoin miner has signed a 20-year lease agreement with Anthropic for its Justified Data campus in Hawesville, Kentucky.

The company said the agreement is expected to produce nearly $19 billion in contracted revenue over the initial lease period, making it one of the largest infrastructure commitments announced between an AI developer and a crypto mining company.

Under the agreement, the Kentucky campus will support about 401 megawatts of critical IT load and will be built in several phases. TeraWulf said the first capacity is expected to come online during the second half of 2027, while the full 401 MW deployment is scheduled for early 2028.

The project adds to a growing list of Bitcoin miners expanding beyond digital asset mining into AI infrastructure, where existing power capacity and data center expertise have become increasingly valuable. TeraWulf has been repositioning its business to serve high-performance computing and AI workloads alongside its Bitcoin operations.

The announcement also comes as Anthropic continues to expand its computing footprint following recent regulatory developments. As crypto.news reported earlier, the company has restored public access to its Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models after U.S. authorities lifted export restrictions that had suspended public availability since June 12. According to Anthropic, the rollout resumed after discussions with the U.S. government and now includes new classifiers designed to identify and block cybersecurity-related misuse.

Those export controls had temporarily forced Anthropic to disable both advanced models for all users after a U.S. government directive required the company to block access for foreign nationals. Anthropic said the additional safeguards were introduced to address government concerns over potential misuse through jailbreak techniques.

Asset sale strengthens funding for AI expansion

Alongside the lease announcement, TeraWulf disclosed that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its 50.1% ownership stake in the Abernathy Joint Venture to an investor group led by its joint venture partner, Fluidstack.

According to the company, the transaction monetizes roughly $450 million of invested capital at a premium and frees additional resources for wholly owned AI infrastructure projects. The divestment complements the Anthropic lease by increasing capital available for future data center development.

Investors reacted positively to both announcements. TradingView data showed TeraWulf shares rising more than 12% to around $24, outperforming many publicly traded crypto companies that traded lower during the broader market downturn.

Anthropic has also remained at the center of geopolitical discussions over AI access. As crypto.news previously reported, Austria last month urged the European Union to consider establishing Anthropic within the bloc after U.S. export restrictions limited foreign access to the company’s most advanced AI systems.

In a letter released by the Austrian government, State Secretary for Digitalization Alexander Proell argued that the EU could offer the company legal certainty, investment, market access, and what he described as a values-based environment, while encouraging European policymakers to reduce dependence on technology decisions made outside the region.

Separately, Anthropic is also reportedly considering an initial public offering at a valuation of as much as $1 trillion, adding another catalyst as the company continues expanding its AI infrastructure and global operations.

Key Takeaways

• GE Vernova reached a record peak of $1,182.31 on July 6, climbing 121.61% over 12 months and 70.6% since the start of 2026
• Jim Cramer declared GEV his top pick in the power sector and disclosed it represents a “very big position” in his Charitable Trust portfolio
• First quarter 2026 revenue reached $9.3 billion, marking a 16% year-over-year increase, while EPS of $1.98 surpassed analyst projections
• The company secured $18.3 billion in orders during Q1, reflecting 71% organic growth, pushing total backlog to $163 billion
• Management elevated 2026 free cash flow projections to $6.5–$7.5 billion from the previous range of $5.0–$5.5 billion

GE Vernova (GEV) established a fresh all-time peak at $1,182.31 on July 6, 2026, continuing its impressive ascent with shares hovering around $1,183 and commanding a market capitalization of $310.9 billion. This milestone caps a remarkable rally that has delivered more than 120% gains over the past twelve months.

GE Vernova Inc., GEV

Shares have surged 70.6% since January, positioning GEV among the energy sector’s top-performing equities. Such dramatic appreciation inevitably attracts scrutiny from market observers and institutional investors alike.

During the June 30 edition of Mad Money’s Lightning Round, Jim Cramer singled out GE Vernova as his preferred play in the power generation space. He revealed the stock occupies substantial real estate in his Charitable Trust holdings—a transparent, trackable stake rather than casual commentary.

“GE Vernova of those is my favorite. It’s one that the Charitable Trust has a very big position… I say still buy GE Vernova,” Cramer stated.

The endorsement came with shares already trading at elevated levels. GEV finished July 2 at $1,113.11, yet its three-year cumulative return of 867.92% demonstrates how dramatically the investment narrative has transformed.

First Quarter Results Validate Bullish Thesis

The company’s first quarter 2026 financial performance, disclosed April 22, provided concrete evidence supporting the optimistic outlook.

Topline revenue reached $9.3 billion, representing 16% year-over-year expansion. Earnings per share of $1.98 exceeded the Street’s $1.84 consensus by 7.6%.

Order momentum stole the spotlight. First quarter bookings totaled $18.3 billion, surging 71% on an organic basis, with robust contributions from Power, Wind, and Electrification divisions. The cumulative backlog swelled to $163 billion, expanding by $13 billion in just three months.

Free cash flow generation of $4.8 billion represented more than a fourfold increase from the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA nearly doubled to $0.9 billion, while margins widened 390 basis points to 9.6%.

CEO Scott Strazik highlighted accelerating demand for gas turbines. Gas Power equipment backlog and slot reservations expanded from 83 gigawatts to 100 gigawatts during the quarter. Management now aims to reach at least 110 gigawatts by the close of 2026.

Management Lifts Full-Year Projections

Following the strong quarterly performance, GEV elevated its full-year 2026 outlook across all primary financial metrics.

Revenue expectations now span $44.5–$45.5 billion. Adjusted EBITDA margin guidance increased to 12–14% from the prior 11–13% range. Free cash flow projections jumped significantly to $6.5–$7.5 billion versus the earlier $5.0–$5.5 billion target.

The company concluded Q1 holding $10.2 billion in cash and distributed $1.4 billion to shareholders via share repurchases and dividends.

Wall Street coverage has grown increasingly supportive. Bernstein launched coverage with an outperform recommendation. Jefferies boosted its price objective to $1,210 while reaffirming a Buy rating, citing a robust order book extending through 2031.

InvestingPro’s valuation model suggests the stock currently trades above its Fair Value calculation—an important consideration for investors contemplating entry points.

From a technical perspective, shares encountered resistance around the $1,170–$1,180 zone on July 2 before retracing. The 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day moving averages currently rest near $1,052, $959, and $794 respectively.

Second quarter 2026 results are scheduled for July 22. Analysts assign a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) accompanied by a positive Earnings ESP of 10.35%, with estimate revisions trending favorably ahead of the release.

SpaceX shares have remained under pressure ahead of their Nasdaq-100 debut, even as the upcoming index inclusion is expected to trigger roughly $4.3 billion in passive fund buying.

According to Nasdaq, SpaceX will officially join the Nasdaq-100 before the opening bell on July 7 after qualifying under the exchange’s updated rules that allow certain large newly listed companies to enter the benchmark much sooner than under the previous seasoning requirements. The company, which made its public market debut in June, will become one of the fastest IPOs to reach the technology-heavy index.

Nasdaq-100 inclusion brings major institutional demand

JPMorgan estimates that the index addition could generate about $4.3 billion in compulsory purchases from index-tracking exchange-traded funds and passive investment portfolios. Those funds are required to rebalance their holdings to match the Nasdaq-100, creating a one-time surge in demand for SpaceX shares.

The accelerated inclusion follows Nasdaq’s rule revision for qualifying large IPOs. Under the updated framework, companies with sufficiently large market capitalizations no longer need to wait as long before becoming eligible for the index. The change has allowed SpaceX to enter the benchmark only weeks after listing, a timeline that would previously have taken much longer.

Despite the expected buying, the stock’s ownership structure remains a potential source of volatility. Elon Musk and other insiders continue to control a significant portion of the company’s equity, leaving a relatively small public float available for trading. As passive funds compete for those shares during the rebalance, limited supply could amplify price swings in either direction.

While forced buying often provides temporary support, the effect typically fades after index funds complete their purchases, leaving subsequent price action dependent on normal investor demand and company fundamentals.

Technical levels keep $180 in focus

SpaceX traded around $157.62 on Monday, down about 2.7%, after failing to hold gains near the $160 resistance zone. The pullback has left the stock testing support around $155, a level traders are watching closely ahead of Tuesday’s index inclusion.

A move back above $160 would indicate that buyers are regaining short-term control. If trading volume strengthens alongside the breakout, the stock could revisit resistance near $165 before attempting another move toward $170.

A sustained push above $170 would strengthen the bullish case for a rally toward $180 during the week. If momentum continues beyond that level, technical traders could begin monitoring the next upside objectives around $190 and $200.

On the downside, maintaining support at $155 remains critical for the current recovery attempt. A break below that level could expose the stock to a decline toward $152, while heavier selling pressure may extend losses to the next support area near $150.

For now, the Nasdaq-100 addition remains the primary catalyst for SpaceX. The expected wave of passive buying may provide near-term support, but whether the stock can build on that demand will likely depend on its ability to reclaim resistance around $160 and sustain buying interest after the index rebalance is complete.

Bitcoin’s rebound gathered speed after a sharp dip tied to Strategy’s announced Bitcoin sales, with price quickly recovering from the $61,300 area to around $63,500. The move came despite a noticeable shift in leverage indicators, suggesting that while traders remained cautious, demand for exposure wasn’t completely broken.

Derivatives data showed a mixed picture: perpetual futures funding rates climbed to a positive level, while options pricing reflected only mild stress. At the same time, US spot Bitcoin ETF flows showed a potentially important counter-signal—net inflows after a streak of outflows—raising the odds that any bounce could find support beyond short-term trading.

Key takeaways

• Perpetual futures funding rates rose to around 9% annualized on Monday, indicating leverage demand was more balanced than during the prior negative-funding period.
• Deribit’s put-to-call premium ratio moved to roughly 1.15, a level below typical stress thresholds (often above 2), pointing to contained—not escalating—options anxiety.
• US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $223 million in net inflows on Friday (the first after 10 straight outflow days), countering sentiment hit by June’s record outflows.
• On-chain data highlighted sellers’ exhaustion near the $60,000 support zone, though derivatives traders may still wait for repeated ETF inflow confirmation before pressing higher targets.

Selloff fades as leverage metrics stabilize

After Strategy’s Bitcoin sale announcement, Bitcoin dipped to approximately $61,300 and then moved swiftly back upward. The rapid recovery mattered for two reasons: it suggested the market absorbed supply without triggering a prolonged cascading liquidation wave, and it highlighted that trader positioning did not fully align with a “bear-control” narrative.

Perpetual futures provide one of the clearest near-term gauges of leveraged sentiment. According to Laevitas funding data, the Bitcoin perpetual futures annualized funding rate jumped to 9% on Monday. Positive funding generally implies that traders using perpetuals are paying for long exposure—often seen when the market is no longer dominated by bearish leverage.

Importantly, this change moved the indicator away from the bearish momentum seen on Saturday, when funding rates were negative. While 9% annualized doesn’t automatically signal strong bullish conviction on its own, the shift does indicate that the balance between long and short leverage tightened rather than deteriorated.

Options offered a second, slightly different read on risk. Laevitas data referenced through Deribit showed the put-to-call premium ratio at about 1.15 on Monday. This metric compares the relative pricing of downside-focused puts versus upside calls. The ratio had been lower in the previous days, but on Monday put premiums started to outweigh calls again—though only modestly.

Historically, periods of acute market stress often push this ratio above 2. With the indicator staying around 1.15, the implication is that while some participants were paying for downside protection, they were not pricing an immediate breakdown scenario.

ETF flows return after outflows—momentum traders may take notice

One of the strongest supporting signals for a sustained recovery is spot ETF flow behavior. Earlier coverage noted that US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $223 million in net inflows on Friday, according to reporting linked in the source. That day marked the first inflow after 10 consecutive outflow sessions, which had compounded bearish sentiment.

The broader context is crucial: the record-high $4.51 billion net outflows in June left traders bracing for continued selling pressure. In that environment, a single inflow day can be easy to dismiss—but repeated inflows tend to matter more for the market’s ability to hold higher levels without constant hedging demand.

The market’s reaction to derivatives positioning appears aligned with this framework. Even though funding and options stabilized, the bounce to roughly $63,500 did not immediately translate into “bullishness” strong enough to erase all caution among leverage traders. That pattern fits the idea that ETF buyers may need to show persistence before derivatives market participants fully commit to a higher-range outlook.

Strategy overhang: cash buffer versus unrealized loss pressure

The selloff pressure connected to Strategy’s Bitcoin sales remains a key variable for short-term sentiment. The source attributes part of the recent bearish tone to strain around Strategy preferred perpetual equity Stretch (STRC US), which had offered holders an attractive yield. It also notes that new stock issuance occurs only at a fixed $100 price, meaning the company may have fewer channels at times to support dividend-related expectations.

Even so, the article emphasizes that Strategy still holds enough cash to cover about 17 months of dividends. That detail complicates the “forced selling” storyline: if dividend coverage is secure for a meaningful period, investors must reassess how urgent additional Bitcoin sales truly are.

However, the same analysis points to why bears still have room to press the market. Strategy’s debt leverage is described as extremely low (around 8%), yet the company is facing approximately $8 billion in unrealized losses from prior Bitcoin purchases. In practice, unrealized drawdowns can still influence market psychology—particularly when investors connect Bitcoin exposure decisions to broader equity and preferred-structure stability.

That combination helps explain why derivatives traders may remain skeptical. For them, Strategy is not only a cashflow story; it’s also a persistent factor in how markets interpret the future supply of Bitcoin linked to corporate decisions.

On-chain seller exhaustion strengthens $60,000, but confirmation is still needed

Beyond derivatives and ETF flows, the source highlights on-chain evidence suggesting that selling pressure is not expanding. It references Glassnode data showing that transfers from long-term holders to exchanges have fallen to an average of 4,130 BTC per day. The figure is down from about 8,040 BTC per day one week prior.

This kind of decline matters because it often signals that long-term holders are less willing—or less able—to move coins toward exchanges. In the article’s framing, that seller exhaustion supports the $60,000 support level.

Yet the piece also cautions that on-chain stabilization alone may not be enough to sustain a large upside move. Unless spot Bitcoin ETFs begin a sequence of relevant net inflows, derivatives traders may keep risk management switched on—reducing the likelihood of a sustained rally above $65,000.

In other words, the market may be able to bounce due to reduced exchange-bound supply, but it still needs buy-side confirmation from spot demand channels to convert a rebound into a durable trend.

For now, investors should watch two things closely: whether ETF inflows become a multi-day pattern rather than a one-off turn, and whether derivatives stress indicators—funding and options pricing—continue to ease as price holds the $60,000 area.

Michael Saylor’s Strategy sold 3,588 Bitcoin (BTC) to fund preferred stock dividend payments and replenish its cash reserves.

Strategy sold the Bitcoin for $216 million, reducing its total holdings to 843,775 Bitcoin, according to a Monday 8-K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

This included 1,363 Bitcoin sold at an average price of $59,256 between last Monday and Tuesday, and 2,225 Bitcoin sold at an average price of $60,773 between Wednesday and Sunday.

Strategy disclosed the sale of 32 Bitcoin in early June, as its first reported Bitcoin sale since the 2022 tax-loss transaction.

On its June 29 8-K filing, Strategy unveiled a capital framework allowing Bitcoin sales to fund dividends, increased the annual dividend rate on its STRC preferred stock to 12%, and disclosed that its US dollar reserve had grown to $2.55 billion. Monday’s filing showed the dollar reserve remained unchanged.

Form 8-K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Source: Strategy

Strategy’s perpetual preferred stock, STRC, traded at $88.70, or 11.3% below its $100 intended par value, during Monday’s pre-market trading session, Yahoo Finance data shows.

STRC is one of Strategy’s main mechanisms to fund its Bitcoin accumulation. Trading below par limits Strategy’s ability to raise funds through STRC sales. It may also force the company to further increase its nominal dividend rate to attract buyers and protect STRC’s price.

Bernstein says Strategy unlikely to face forced Bitcoin sales

Before Strategy disclosed its latest Bitcoin sale, Bernstein said the company was unlikely to be forced to sell its holdings, citing its liquidity position and cash reserve coverage.

Bernstein’s report said Strategy had 17 months of cash to cover dividend obligations and interest payments. It added that the company remained a net buyer of Bitcoin and served as a strong “balancing force” in a market where leading US Bitcoin miners are net sellers due to their pivot to AI.

Strategy yearly net accumulation. Source: Bernstein

Bernstein said Strategy’s accumulation had been an important “balancing force” amid selling by US Bitcoin miners and the $5.5 billion of outflows from Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) so far in 2026.

Related: Dormant $1.9M Bitcoin tied to New York lawsuit moves after nearly 15 years

Strategy’s debt liabilities were a “mere” 13% of its Bitcoin collateral value. The company’s next principal payment of about $1 billion is due in the third quarter of 2028, according to Bernstein.

Bernstein maintained its $150,000 year-end Bitcoin price target, saying it remained “optimistic on Bitcoin long-term.”

Magazine: Bitcoin slides to $58K, XRP hits $1 but onchain data promising: Market Moves

The White House’s chief crypto adviser, Patrick Witt, and his predecessor in that role had both said that they’ll need Congress to fully back up the formation and activation of the crypto funds. Presidential orders don’t carry the weight of law, and no legislation has yet advanced, though such efforts have simmered among lawmakers in both the Senate and House of Representatives, And if Republicans lose the majority in the House or both chambers in this year’s midterm elections, it’s unlikely such a bill will formalize Trump’s concept anytime soon.

Read More: Those who cheered U.S. Bitcoin reserve have spent year watching Trump’s order languish

Even if the administration works out the structure for the funds, it’s unclear whether they’ll be able to pull the lever to officially put its bitcoin holding — estimated at more than 300,000, or about $21 billion — into that virtual vault.

The government’s bitcoin holdings would be a long-term investment. Trump and his administration has called it a strategic reserve, though it doesn’t fit the usual definition of that phrase, because it’s meant to be held for a long period and not doled out during market emergencies.

When Trump issued the order, he asked his administration to come up with ways to acquire more bitcoin without using taxpayer money. Several ideas have since been floated, though if they’d started buying the asset when Trump called for it, they’d have bought at $93,000, and BTC has dropped by about a third since then to today’s price just above $64,000.