Bitcoin mining stocks jumped Monday as Hut 8 and IREN announced large-scale moves into AI infrastructure and cloud services, renewing investor interest in the sector’s ongoing pivot away from pure mining economics.

According to the early trading data cited in the report, shares of IREN, Cipher Digital, CleanSpark, Hut 8 and MARA Holdings each rose at least 11% on Monday. The catalyst came from two major announcements: Hut 8’s disclosure of a 15-year, $9.8 billion lease for its AI data center campus and IREN’s filing detailing $2.8 billion in cloud services contracts with AI developers (as stated in IREN’s SEC disclosure, https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1878848/000114036126028871/ef20078253_ex99-1.htm).

Key takeaways

• Hut 8’s $9.8 billion, 15-year AI campus lease and IREN’s $2.8 billion cloud contract disclosure helped drive broad gains across mining-related stocks.
• IREN expects its AI cloud business to exceed $4 billion in annual recurring revenue by the end of 2026.
• The rally tracked improvements in broader tech sentiment, including gains in Nasdaq and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index.
• Industry momentum remains complicated by funding needs and investor scrutiny around insider selling.

AI infrastructure deals spark a sector-wide rerating

The Monday move wasn’t isolated to a single name. The report ties the rally to two specific, capital-intensive developments that place miners closer to demand centers tied to AI computing: large data center capacity and contracted cloud services.

Hut 8’s planned AI data center expansion is anchored by a long-term lease for a campus that, if executed as described, would materially increase its ability to host high-performance workloads. IREN’s SEC filing, meanwhile, highlights cloud services contracts with AI developers totaling $2.8 billion—an important distinction because it points not just to infrastructure buildout, but to service demand lined up in advance.

These developments build on the broader theme that has defined the sector over the past year: miners increasingly market themselves as energy and compute providers for AI-era workloads, not only as facilitators of bitcoin production. The report also notes that these companies began as bitcoin miners before accelerating that pivot as mining profitability faced sustained pressure.

Financial outlook and the AI infrastructure index

IREN’s disclosure included a forward-looking revenue target for its AI cloud unit. The report states that IREN expects the business to generate more than $4 billion in annual recurring revenue by the end of 2026. While such targets are inherently dependent on execution, contracting, and customer adoption, recurring revenue projections are typically more attractive to investors than purely speculative growth narratives—particularly for companies spending heavily to expand computing capacity.

The rally also showed up in a sector indicator maintained by The Energy Mag. The report references the TEM AI Infrastructure Growth Index, which tracks 20 companies spanning bitcoin mining, “neocloud,” and AI infrastructure. It rose 1.4% on Monday and is up more than 12% over the past week, suggesting that market optimism extended beyond a handful of headlines into a broader “AI infrastructure” trade.

Broader tech markets lift semiconductors and risk appetite

Mining stocks did not rise in a vacuum. The report links the move to a wider rebound in technology-related equities, noting that the Nasdaq Composite Index added 0.9% by midday. It also points to strength in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, which climbed 2% after having entered a technical bear market the prior week.

For investors positioning for AI growth, semiconductor demand is often viewed as a key upstream signal. The report defines a technical bear market as a decline of 20% or more from a recent high, underscoring that semiconductors were already in a stress phase before the bounce. Monday’s rebound in chip-related equities may have helped create a more favorable risk environment for companies perceived as beneficiaries of AI buildouts.

Volatility, funding gaps, and insider-selling scrutiny

Despite Monday’s positive reaction, the report emphasizes that the mining-to-AI transition remains a source of volatility. It highlights that bitcoin mining stocks have moved sharply this year as companies struggle with a weaker mining environment while trying to finance expensive AI and cloud initiatives.

According to the report’s reference to Blocksbridge Consulting, the AI pivot has driven a “re-rating” across the sector—but the change in narrative has also increased scrutiny, particularly around insider stock sales. The report points to a Blocksbridge-linked analysis in a Miner Weekly newsletter that flagged insider sales at TeraWulf, Riot Platforms, Core Scientific and Cipher Mining. The transactions were described as being executed under prearranged trading plans, but the concern among investors is essentially strategic: whether enthusiasm for AI growth has pushed share prices to levels that make executive selling look opportunistic.

On top of market optics, funding needs remain a central unresolved issue. The report cites Blocksbridge’s estimate that the industry will require another $50 billion to realize its AI ambitions, with IREN described as facing the largest funding gap at roughly $21.1 billion. That estimate frames the rally’s biggest tension: investors may be buying into AI-related growth claims, but companies still face the practical question of how quickly and efficiently they can raise capital and convert planned capacity into contracted revenue.

As the sector digests today’s announcements and broader tech sentiment, investors will likely focus on two things next: whether miners can translate AI infrastructure spending into durable, contracted recurring revenue, and whether scrutiny over insider selling and financing timelines intensifies as expectations rise.

Bitcoin returned above $65,000 on Tuesday as a rebound in Asian technology stocks restored some risk appetite after last week’s semiconductor selloff. 

At the time of writing, crypto.news price data showed BTC trading around $65,245, up 1.23% over 24 hours and 5.02% over seven days. Trading volume stood near $32.18 billion.

The broader crypto market also moved higher. Crypto.news showed Ethereum near $1,901, XRP around $1.11, Solana at $77.73, BNB near $571 and Hyperliquid around $62.49. Dogecoin traded near $0.073. The gains followed a sharp reversal across Asian equity markets, where South Korea’s Kospi rose 4.7%, Japan’s Nikkei gained 2.8% and Taiwan’s Taiex climbed 3.6%.

Bitcoin recovers as Asian chip stocks reverse losses

The Bitcoin rebound followed the same part of the market that drove last week’s decline. Semiconductor and artificial intelligence stocks had sold off sharply as investors questioned high valuations and reacted to new competition from China’s AI sector. Bitcoin fell below $64,000 as the technology selloff spread across global risk assets.

Buyers returned to many of those stocks on Tuesday. Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Taiwan Semiconductor recovered alongside broader Asian benchmarks. BTC moved with the improved market mood and briefly reached its highest level in roughly two weeks. The move continued a recovery from the June low area near $58,000 to $60,000.

Oil also offered some support to risk markets. Brent crude fell about 1% toward $88 after reports that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. Fighting remains active and no agreement has been confirmed, but the pullback in oil eased some pressure from the previous two sessions.

Five-day ETF inflow streak supports recovery

U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs have also turned positive after a difficult stretch of withdrawals. According to SoSoValue data, the funds attracted $226.9 million on Monday, extending net inflows to five consecutive sessions and bringing the total across the streak to about $727.3 million.

The return of ETF demand follows heavy selling earlier in the summer. More than $4 billion left U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs during June, while a 13-session outflow streak between May and early June removed roughly $4.37 billion. The recent shift therefore marks a clear change from the sustained redemptions that weighed on the market.

Institutional flows have not been the only source of accumulation. Large Bitcoin wallets accumulated about 270,000 BTC worth roughly $16.7 billion during a period when ETFs were recording heavy withdrawals. That divergence placed more attention on whether renewed ETF buying could add another source of demand during the recovery.

Bitcoin indicators improve as $70,000 becomes next test

Bitcoin’s daily chart shows stronger short-term momentum after the recovery from its June lows. The chart data supplied with the market update places the MACD line near 464.37, above the signal line at about 93.55, while the histogram remains positive around 370.82. That structure shows that buying momentum has strengthened from the previous downside phase.

The RSI also supports the short-term recovery. It stands near 60.07, above its moving average around 52.91 and above the neutral 50 mark. However, the indicator remains below traditional overbought levels. Holding above $65,000 would keep the current recovery structure intact, while the $70,000 area represents the next closely watched test for buyers.

Onchain data offers another view of BTC’s position within its broader market cycle. According to crypto market intelligence platform Alphractal, its four-year standardized MVRV model identifies readings below a Z-score of -1 as periods of severe historical undervaluation and potentially stronger windows for dollar-cost averaging. The firm argues that MVRV can help investors measure where Bitcoin’s market value sits relative to the prices at which coins last moved onchain.

That metric does not provide a short-term price forecast, and historical patterns do not guarantee future returns. However, it adds another data point as BTC attempts to rebuild momentum after falling sharply from its 2025 record above $126,000. Crypto.news currently places BTC about 48% below that peak.

Key takeaways

• Shiba Inu (SHIB) trades above $0.0000042 after breaking above a key descending trendline.
• Five consecutive days of exchange outflows suggest investors are moving SHIB into private wallets, reducing selling pressure.
• Derivatives data remains bullish, with positive funding rates and a long-to-short ratio favoring buyers.

Shiba Inu (SHIB) extended its recovery on Tuesday, trading above $0.0000042 after breaking above a long-standing descending trendline. Improving on-chain activity and strengthening derivatives data suggest bullish momentum is building, potentially setting the stage for further upside.

Exchange outflows point to reduced selling pressure

On-chain data from CryptoQuant indicates investors have been steadily moving SHIB off centralized exchanges, a trend often viewed as a positive signal for prices.

The platform’s exchange netflow data recorded five consecutive days of net outflows beginning on July 17, showing that more SHIB tokens are leaving exchanges than being deposited.

This pattern typically suggests investors are transferring tokens into private wallets for longer-term holding rather than preparing to sell, reducing immediate selling pressure in the market.

The continued decline in exchange balances could support SHIB’s ongoing recovery if buying demand remains steady.

Market positioning in the derivatives sector also points to improving confidence among traders.

According to CoinGlass, SHIB’s long-to-short ratio stood at 1.02 on Tuesday, indicating a slight preference for long positions over shorts and reflecting growing optimism that prices could continue moving higher.

Sentiment is further supported by funding rates. SHIB’s perpetual futures funding rate turned positive on July 17 and remained in bullish territory at 0.0103% on Tuesday. 

Positive funding rates indicate that traders holding long positions are paying those with short positions, a sign that bullish bets currently outweigh bearish ones.

The combination of positive funding rates and a favorable long-to-short ratio suggests traders are increasingly positioning for additional gains.

Shiba Inu price outlook: Bulls target higher resistance

From a technical perspective, SHIB has improved its near-term outlook after breaking above a descending trendline that had capped price action since mid-May.

The breakout places the meme coin in a stronger position to extend its recovery if buying momentum continues.

The next major resistance lies around $0.0000045. A decisive close above this level could pave the way for a move toward the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), which is also positioned near $0.0000045.

Momentum indicators have also turned more constructive. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has climbed to 54 and is moving towards the 60 level, signaling that bearish momentum is fading. 

Meanwhile, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) has produced a bullish crossover, with expanding green histogram bars reinforcing the improving technical outlook.

However, if the current recovery loses momentum and sellers regain control, SHIB could retreat toward its yearly low near $0.0000040, where buyers may attempt to defend the broader uptrend.

• Volume increased during the breakout attempt, with CoinGecko showing 24-hour trading volume of about $1.27 billion.

• XRP held above the $1.08-$1.10 area through the session, keeping the short-term recovery structure intact.

Technical Analysis

• The key short-term level is $1.13. A sustained break above it would confirm the triangle breakout watched by traders and bring $1.35 into focus.

• The hourly structure has tightened into a symmetrical triangle, with price compressing between lower highs and higher lows before the latest push higher.

• The daily chart remains more cautious. XRP is still trading inside a descending channel, with the 100-day and 200-day moving averages above price and sloping lower.

• The $1.24-$1.28 area remains the bigger resistance zone because it lines up with the channel’s upper boundary and major moving averages.

• Support remains strongest around $1.02-$1.06, where buyers have repeatedly stepped in over recent weeks.

What traders should watch

• $1.13 is the immediate breakout level. Holding above it would strengthen the short-term bullish setup.

• $1.14 is the next nearby level after marking the top of the latest 24-hour range.

• $1.24-$1.28 is the major resistance zone that XRP needs to clear before the daily chart turns meaningfully stronger.

• $1.02-$1.06 remains the key demand zone. Losing it would expose $0.88-$0.92.