TLDR:

• Bitcoin fell to $74,300 Saturday as US military preparations against Iran rattled crypto markets badly.
• Nearly $945 million in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated, mostly long bets caught off guard.
• The total crypto market cap dropped 3% to $2.5 trillion within 24 hours, per CoinGecko data released.
• Pakistan and Qatar are brokering talks, but negotiators report no real progress on any drafted deal.

Bitcoin dropped below $75,000 on Friday, extending losses into Saturday as geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran rattled crypto markets.

The broader digital asset market shed roughly 3% of its total value within 24 hours, pushing the combined market cap to $2.5 trillion.

Leveraged traders absorbed the brunt of the damage, with nearly $945 million in positions wiped out across crypto exchanges during the period.

Source: Coingecko

Geopolitical Pressure Pushes Bitcoin to $74,300

Bitcoin touched a low of $74,300 on Saturday morning as risk sentiment deteriorated sharply. Reports emerged that the US military and intelligence community were preparing for possible strikes against Iran.

CBS News cited sources who confirmed preparations were underway, though no final decision had been reached on Friday.

President Trump canceled his planned attendance at Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding and returned to the White House.

This schedule change raised concern among traders and market observers watching the developing situation. Such visible shifts in presidential movement often signal heightened urgency behind closed doors.

The White House maintained its position that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon or retain enriched uranium. Officials reiterated that all military options remain on the table if Tehran rejects the latest American proposal.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard responded by warning of severe retaliation and a possible widening of conflict beyond the Middle East region.

A new US proposal was delivered Wednesday through intermediaries, including Pakistan and Qatar. Both countries are working urgently to broker a last-minute agreement between the two sides.

However, negotiators described the process as difficult, with drafts exchanged daily but no meaningful progress recorded.

Leveraged Traders Take the Hardest Hit Amid Market Selloff

The sudden drop in sentiment caught many leveraged traders completely off guard in crypto markets. CoinGlass data shows approximately $945 million in leveraged positions were liquidated during the market downturn.

The bulk of those losses came from long positions, meaning traders were betting on continued price increases.

Ethereum and major altcoins followed Bitcoin lower as selling pressure spread across the market. The total crypto market capitalization fell 3% to $2.5 trillion within 24 hours, according to CoinGecko data.

Broad-based losses of this kind typically reflect macro-driven fear rather than any crypto-specific development.

Fears around the Strait of Hormuz added another layer of concern for markets already on edge. A disruption to that critical oil shipping lane could push energy prices higher and complicate inflation expectations globally. Rising inflation tends to reduce appetite for speculative assets, including cryptocurrencies.

The fragile ceasefire reached in early April between the US and Iran had briefly stabilized conditions. That calm now appears increasingly uncertain as military preparations and diplomatic tensions run parallel.

Until clearer signals emerge from negotiations, crypto markets are likely to remain sensitive to any escalation in the region.

Key Takeaways

• Zoom shares surged over 9% following a Q1 fiscal 2027 earnings beat
• The company reported $1.24 billion in revenue, reflecting 5.5% growth year-over-year, while enterprise revenue expanded 7.2%
• A $51 million stake in Anthropic acquired in 2023 has ballooned to approximately $1.3 billion
• Full-year outlook upgraded with revenue projected at $5.08–$5.09 billion and adjusted EPS reaching up to $6.00
• Several Wall Street firms increased their price targets, including Rosenblatt to $130 and Benchmark to $125

Zoom shares opened dramatically higher on Friday, surging more than 9% to approximately $105.55, following the video conferencing giant’s impressive first-quarter performance and the disclosure of a remarkably profitable investment in artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

Zoom Communications, Inc., ZM

The financial results exceeded expectations on multiple fronts. Revenue totaled $1.24 billion, marking a 5.5% increase compared to the same period last year and surpassing Zoom’s own forecast of $1.22 billion. Adjusted earnings per share reached $1.55, up from $1.43 in the prior-year quarter. The company generated $500.5 million in free cash flow, representing an 8% increase.

Enterprise segment revenue climbed 7.2% to $755.7 million, now representing 61% of Zoom’s total revenue. The number of customers with annual spending exceeding $100,000 expanded 8.2% to 4,534.

The net dollar expansion rate improved to 99% from 98%, indicating that current customers are gradually increasing their expenditures.

CEO Eric Yuan attributed the strong performance to artificial intelligence initiatives. Paid users of AI Companion experienced 184% year-over-year growth. The company’s newer AI-powered note-taking feature, My Notes, attracted 1.5 million licensed users in just four months following its debut.

“Customers are increasingly adopting Zoom as an AI-first system of action for modern work,” Yuan said.

The Anthropic Investment Windfall

The earnings narrative gained additional momentum on Friday when a regulatory disclosure unveiled the remarkable appreciation of Zoom’s Anthropic investment.

Zoom invested approximately $51 million in Anthropic during May 2023 via its Zoom Ventures investment arm. That position has appreciated to nearly $1.3 billion — representing a gain exceeding $1 billion. The initial investment was designed to facilitate integration of Anthropic’s Claude language models into Zoom’s artificial intelligence offerings.

Anthropically is reportedly nearing completion of a massive funding round potentially reaching $30 billion at a $900 billion valuation, with Sequoia Capital, Dragoneer, Altimeter, and Greenoaks each expected to invest $2 billion. Should that valuation materialize, Zoom’s stake could appreciate further.

Cantor Fitzgerald analysts observed that if the Anthropic position, estimated at $1.5 billion of Zoom’s aggregate $1.88 billion strategic investment portfolio, achieves the $900 billion valuation benchmark, Zoom’s share price could reach $116.

Updated Guidance and Wall Street Response

Management increased its full-year projections. Zoom now anticipates revenue between $5.08 and $5.09 billion, adjusted EPS ranging from $5.96 to $6.00, and free cash flow of $1.7 billion for fiscal 2027.

The company also approved a fresh $1 billion share repurchase authorization.

Wall Street analysts responded swiftly. Morgan Stanley increased its price target to $105 from $92. Rosenblatt elevated its target to $130 from $115. Benchmark raised its outlook to $125 from $121. Mizuho adjusted upward to $120, and Needham also increased to $130. Bank of America moved to $105 while maintaining a Neutral rating.

Cantor Fitzgerald, which kept its Neutral rating, raised its target to $104 from $87, pointing to growing adoption of Zoom’s CX, Phone, and AI products.

Zoom’s 52-week peak of $113.73 was achieved during Friday’s trading session.

Key Takeaways

• Ford shares surged more than 9% on May 22, reaching a 52-week peak of $14.94
• Ford Energy secured a five-year agreement with EDF Power Solutions for up to 20 GWh of battery storage capacity
• The agreement leverages underutilized EV manufacturing capacity to meet surging AI data center energy storage demands in a market valued near $10 billion
• Ford recorded a $1.3 billion noncash benefit from tariffs following a Supreme Court decision
• Morgan Stanley maintained its Equalweight rating with a $14.00 price target on Ford

Ford Motor (F) shares rallied more than 9% during Thursday’s trading session on May 22, reaching a 52-week peak of $14.94 before closing near $14.93. The dramatic surge followed the automaker’s announcement of a significant battery storage partnership that captured investor attention.

Ford Motor Company, F

The driving force: Ford Energy entered into a five-year partnership with EDF Power Solutions to deliver up to 20 gigawatt-hours of battery energy storage systems throughout the United States. Initial shipments are scheduled to commence in 2028.

What makes this agreement particularly interesting is Ford’s strategic approach to fulfilling it. Rather than constructing new production facilities, the automaker intends to leverage spare capacity at its existing electric vehicle manufacturing plants — facilities currently operating below maximum output — to manufacture battery storage units.

This represents an efficient deployment of underperforming assets. Industry observers believe the timing aligns well with escalating demand from artificial intelligence data centers, which require substantial power storage infrastructure to maintain continuous operations.

Financial Impact of the Partnership

Industry analysts project the battery storage sector that Ford is targeting could reach approximately $10 billion in value. Should Ford Energy achieve the complete 20 GWh capacity specified in the EDF partnership, some financial models indicate it could contribute around $0.10 to Ford’s earnings per share.

While this figure alone won’t revolutionize Ford’s bottom line, it represents a meaningful strategic pivot. Market watchers are anticipating potential additional customer partnerships that could emerge following this EDF arrangement.

The stock received an additional lift from a $1.3 billion noncash benefit related to tariffs stemming from a recent Supreme Court decision. Although this doesn’t represent actual cash flow, it enhances Ford’s reported financial statements and added to Thursday’s positive market sentiment.

Speculation also emerged regarding Ford potentially pursuing new defense sector contracts, though the company hasn’t officially confirmed these reports. Market participants appeared to factor in some optimism regarding these possibilities as well.

Wall Street’s Perspective

Morgan Stanley maintained its Equalweight rating on Ford following the announcement, keeping its price target unchanged at $14.00. Notably, this target actually sits below Thursday’s closing price — suggesting some Street analysts remain cautious about whether the rally is fully warranted.

Ford’s underlying financial metrics tell a complicated story. The automaker posted a negative EPS of -$1.56 for the trailing twelve months. Its Piotroski F-Score registers at 3 out of 10, indicating some areas of financial concern. However, the price-to-sales ratio of just 0.3 appears attractive given total revenue of $189.86 billion.

The stock has delivered approximately 37% returns over the past twelve months and currently provides shareholders with a dividend yield of 4.39%.

Additionally, Ford recently completed a $1 billion note offering maturing in 2036, and conducted its annual shareholder meeting where the board was re-elected and executive compensation packages received approval. On the management front, Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Materazzo will depart on June 1, with Dean Stoneley assuming interim responsibilities.

As of Thursday’s market close, Ford commanded a market capitalization of roughly $59.25 billion.

The European Central Bank warned EU finance ministers on Friday that proposals to expand euro stablecoin issuance could weaken bank lending and complicate monetary policy, according to three sources cited by Reuters.

The pushback came in response to a policy paper prepared by Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, whose authors presented their proposals at the two-day informal meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council in Nicosia, Cyprus. The paper called for easing liquidity requirements for stablecoin issuers and potentially granting them access to ECB funding, arguing that these measures were necessary if the euro stablecoin market was to compete with dollar-backed rivals.

Europeans conduct 38% of global stablecoin transactions, yet euro-denominated tokens account for just 0.3% of total supply, per the policy paper. Circle’s EURC (EURC), the largest euro stablecoin, ranks only 12th globally, according to CoinMarketCap.

Top euro stablecoins. Source: CoinMarketCap

The question at the heart of the Nicosia meeting was whether Europe wants to close that gap badly enough to extend central bank-style support to stablecoin issuers. However, the ECB’s answer, for now, appears to be no.

Related: MiCA Made Euro Stablecoins Safe but Too Small, Report Says

Euro stablecoins could destabilize banks

ECB President Christine Lagarde led the resistance, warning that stablecoin issuance makes bank deposits less stable by transferring buyers’ funds to issuers’ accounts, according to Reuters. At scale, policymakers fear this accelerates disintermediation, raises bank funding costs and erodes the ECB’s ability to manage interest rates.

Several central bankers at the meeting also openly questioned the Bruegel proposal to position the ECB as a lender of last resort for stablecoin firms, an arrangement currently reserved for regulated banks, per the report.

In a speech at the Banco de España LatAm Economic Forum in Spain earlier this month, Lagarde argued that euro stablecoins could generate additional demand for euro-area safe assets but warned that the trade-offs, including financial stability risks, redemption pressures and weaker monetary policy transmission, outweigh the benefits.

Instead of stablecoins, Lagarde pointed to tokenized financial infrastructure anchored by central bank money as Europe’s preferred path, citing the Eurosystem’s Pontes project for wholesale settlement and the Appia roadmap for interoperable tokenized finance.

Related: European Banks Back MiCA Euro Stablecoin to Rival Dollar Tokens

EU central bankers shrug off digital dollarization fears

The Bruegel authors warned that stricter EU rules compared to the US risked accelerating digital dollarization, pushing activity outside the bloc. However, central bankers at the meeting largely dismissed that concern, with several calling instead for restrictions on European redemptions of both US and EU-issued stablecoins to guard against reserve runs, according to the Reuters report.  

The debate comes as the EU reviews its Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, which requires stablecoin issuers to hold large reserves in liquid assets, in contrast to the lighter-touch US GENIUS Act.

Market Moves: Why is Ethereum Foundation selling? BTC futures warning signs

Bitcoin ETF outflows reached $1.26 billion over six sessions, but Santiment says the streak signals a buying opportunity.

The 11 US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs have recorded net outflows in each of six sessions from May 15 through May 22, totalling $1.26 billion according to Farside data.

“Sustained ETF outflows have historically correlated with conditions favorable for patient accumulation rather than panic,” Santiment said in a published report. The analytics firm argued that ETFs disproportionately reflect retail conviction rather than smart money positioning, making large outflows a counter-signal.

Why Santiment reads outflows as a buying signal not a warning

Santiment’s analysis rests on a historical pattern: Bitcoin’s strongest rallies have followed periods of heavy ETF withdrawals. The firm said retail investors grew less patient after Bitcoin failed to hold $80,000, with the current streak resembling a healthy market reset.

ETF analyst James Seyffart noted that Bitcoin ETFs have clawed back most of the $9 billion in outflows seen between October 2025 and February 2026. Crypto.news has reported on the first May outflow event, which reversed the early-month inflow trend.

What the Farside data shows across the 11 funds

Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund led individual redemptions within the streak. BlackRock’s IBIT saw outflows on multiple sessions, and Morgan Stanley’s MSBT attracted positive flows on some days during the period.

Crypto.news has tracked Bitcoin ETFs ending Q1 2026 with net outflows of approximately $500 million, showing the current six-session streak continues a broader 2026 pattern of intermittent redemptions.

Santiment’s contrarian framing does not eliminate further downside risk. If Bitcoin breaks below $74,000, the outflow streak would need reassessment as a buy signal.

Key Takeaways

• BB shares reached a 52-week peak at $6.64, surging approximately 19% in one trading session
• Fourth quarter fiscal 2026 earnings exceeded projections: EPS of $0.06 versus consensus of $0.05, revenue of $156M compared to $142.55M forecast
• QNX business unit posted 20% annual growth, achieving record revenue of $78.7M
• Company executives announced at CIBC Technology and Innovation Conference that BlackBerry is transitioning into a phase of profitable expansion
• InvestingPro data suggests potential overvaluation; Baird maintains $5.00 target, Canaccord sets $4.40 price objective

Shares of BlackBerry soared approximately 19% to reach a 52-week peak of $6.64, extending a rally that has propelled the stock more than 75% higher year-to-date.

BlackBerry Limited, BB

The dramatic upswing followed executive presentations at the CIBC Technology and Innovation Conference 2026, where company leadership informed investors that BlackBerry has entered a phase of profitable growth driven by its QNX software platform and physical AI initiatives.

The announcement resonated strongly with market participants who have been increasingly receptive to the company’s transformation toward software-centric operations.

Additional momentum came from the renewal of a critical U.S. FedRAMP cybersecurity authorization for the AtHoc platform. The Class D (High) recertification maintains BlackBerry‘s qualification for federal government contracts, providing important support for its Secure Communications division.

A reinstated share repurchase authorization, encompassing up to 26.8 million shares, further bolstered investor sentiment by demonstrating management’s conviction in the strategic direction.

Fourth Quarter Results Surpass Forecasts

BlackBerry’s fiscal 2026 fourth quarter performance exceeded analyst expectations across key metrics. The company delivered adjusted earnings per share of $0.06, topping the $0.05 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $156 million—significantly above the projected $142.55 million.

The revenue figure marked a 10% year-over-year expansion, reflecting the type of sustained top-line momentum the organization has been pursuing through its strategic transformation.

The QNX division, which develops embedded software solutions for automotive and industrial applications, delivered particularly strong results. Revenue in this segment increased 20% to an all-time high of $78.7 million. Meanwhile, the Secure Communications unit expanded 8% to $72.5 million.

Wall Street Price Targets Lag Stock Performance

Notwithstanding the market’s enthusiasm, Wall Street analyst price objectives haven’t kept pace with the stock’s ascent.

Baird maintained its Neutral stance with a $5.00 valuation target. Canaccord revised its objective downward to $4.40 while retaining a Hold recommendation.

Both price targets remain substantially beneath current trading levels, suggesting potential concerns about whether market valuations have outpaced underlying business fundamentals.

InvestingPro’s analytical framework identifies the stock as potentially trading above its Fair Value estimation, including BB among its most overvalued securities.

During the preceding six-month period, shares have appreciated nearly 49%. For the current year, gains exceed 75%. The company’s market capitalization currently stands at roughly $3.62 billion.

Daily trading volume averages approximately 15.9 million shares, while technical momentum indicators presently generate buy signals.

The primary recent catalyst continues to be the CIBC conference presentations coupled with robust QNX performance, the FedRAMP recertification achievement, and the buyback program announcement.

TLDR:

• Bloom Energy posted $751M in Q1 2026 revenue, a 130% year-over-year jump driven by AI data center demand.
• Bloom deploys fuel cell systems in 90 days versus the two-to-five years a standard grid connection typically requires.
• Oracle has committed to procure up to 2.8 gigawatts of Bloom’s systems, with 1.2 gigawatts already under contract.
• Bloom projects 30% of all data center sites will rely on onsite power as a primary energy source by 2030.

Bloom Energy is gaining ground as one of the most closely watched names in AI infrastructure. The company posted $751 million in revenue in Q1 2026, a 130% increase year over year.

Product revenue alone grew 208% in that single quarter. With full-year 2026 guidance now set at $3.4 billion to $3.8 billion, Bloom Energy is moving well beyond the margins of the AI buildout conversation.

Rapid Deployment Solves the AI Power Problem

Bloom Energy addresses a bottleneck that is slowing down data center construction across the sector. A traditional utility grid connection for a large data center typically takes two to five years to complete.

Bloom can deploy its fuel cell systems in as little as 90 days, scaling from 20 megawatts up to 500 megawatts per site.

That speed is one of the key reasons major cloud and infrastructure operators are turning to Bloom. Oracle has committed to procure up to 2.8 gigawatts of Bloom’s fuel cell systems, with 1.2 gigawatts already under contract.

Equinix, CoreWeave, and AEP — which supplies power to Amazon Web Services — are also confirmed customers.

The reliability figures are also notable. Bloom’s systems operate at up to 99.999% availability. That number exceeds what most utility grid connections can guarantee, making it a compelling option for workloads that cannot tolerate downtime.

Milk Road AI, an industry analyst account, described the investment case in a recent post: Bloom solves the single biggest problem in data center development right now — getting power fast.

Analysts at Milk Road Pro flagged Bloom Energy early. Their central thesis was that the AI energy bottleneck would become just as large an investment opportunity as the chip bottleneck. That view has since been validated by the company’s financial results and contract pipeline.

Institutional Deals and Production Expansion Signal Long-Term Growth

The scale of Bloom’s commercial agreements suggests this is not a temporary cycle. Bloom has signed a $5 billion strategic AI infrastructure partnership with Brookfield Asset Management.

Under that agreement, Bloom becomes the preferred onsite power provider across Brookfield’s $1 trillion infrastructure portfolio.

This week, a supplier to Bloom received what it described as the largest single contract in its company’s history. The contract covers switchgear manufacturing in support of a large-scale AI data center project.

On the production side, Bloom is on track to double its annual manufacturing capacity to 2 gigawatts by the end of 2026. Further scaling is planned beyond that point.

The company’s own research projects that approximately 30% of all data center sites will rely on onsite power as a primary energy source by 2030.

That market barely existed three years ago. The shift toward continuous computing — where AI models run around the clock rather than on demand — is what is driving the structural change.

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, has noted that AI computing requires up to 1,000 times more energy than traditional on-demand computing, and has acknowledged that estimate could move in either direction by another order of magnitude.

Bloom Energy’s stock has risen 1,231% over the past twelve months and is up more than 130% year to date. Those figures reflect a broader market recognition that the energy layer of AI infrastructure carries just as much value as the hardware layer above it.

Michael Saylor says a Strategy Bitcoin sale before year-end is ‘not unlikely’ in a Coin Stories podcast interview.

Strategy executive chairman Michael Saylor told the Coin Stories podcast it was “not unlikely” the company would sell some Bitcoin before year-end. The comment softens his long-standing public position that Strategy would never sell.

“I think it’s not unlikely that we’ll sell some Bitcoin between now and the end of the year,” Saylor said. “Any model that we put together that’s limited only to equity or only to credit or only to Bitcoin always underperforms.”

Why Saylor says Strategy might sell Bitcoin in 2026

The comments follow Strategy’s Q1 earnings call, where Saylor said the company raised the possibility of selling Bitcoin to fund dividends, saying it would “inoculate the market.” Crypto.news has reported on that call and the $12.54 billion Q1 net loss that preceded it.

Saylor described Strategy’s capital management as programmatic and data-driven, with liabilities evaluated against a mix of cash, equity, credit and Bitcoin. Strategy holds 818,334 BTC acquired for approximately $61.6 billion at an average price of $75,527.

Saylor also confirmed Strategy does not plan to retire its STRF, STRD, and STRK preferred products, calling them useful parts of the capital structure while convertible bonds remain senior liabilities to be retired over time.

What a Strategy Bitcoin sale would mean for markets

Saylor said any sale would be small relative to Bitcoin’s daily market liquidity, estimated at $20 to $50 billion. He argued Strategy could buy roughly 20 Bitcoin for every one sold if dividends were fully funded through BTC sales.

Crypto.news has noted Saylor’s framing of Strategy’s three-layer capital structure, with Bitcoin as digital capital, STRC as digital credit, and MSTR as leveraged equity. The firm’s seven-year goal is to maximise Bitcoin per share by 2033.

Saylor said this long-term lens makes 2026 Bitcoin sales a capital allocation decision, not a reversal of conviction.