Solana Foundation President Lily Liu recently declared that blockchains should abandon their consumer ambitions and return to their “original purpose: finance.” Her dismissal of gaming and Web3 consumer narratives as “intellectually lazy” sparked immediate debate across an industry already reeling from plunging token prices and fading retail enthusiasm.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Liu is simultaneously correct about blockchain’s current reality and catastrophically narrow in her vision for its future.
The Part She Gets Right
Liu isn’t wrong that finance remains blockchain’s most defensible moat. Tokenization, 24/7 settlement, and programmable money represent genuinely superior infrastructure compared to legacy rails. Traditional finance moves slowly not because it’s stupid, but because it’s encumbered by decades of regulatory frameworks, closed systems, and geographic silos.
Blockchain cuts through that like a hot knife through butter when the use case actually requires it.
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The problem with the “blockchain for everything” narrative wasn’t the ambition. It was the execution. The industry kept treating decentralization as a feature consumers would pay a premium for, rather than infrastructure they’d never think about. We built products where the blockchain was the selling point instead of the invisible rails enabling something genuinely better.
Gaming didn’t fail because it was the wrong vertical. It failed because teams shipped half-baked experiences and expected players to tolerate wallet friction, gas fees, and convoluted tokenomics just for the privilege of “true ownership.” Players don’t care about decentralization, they care about fun, fair economies, and actual utility for their digital assets.
Finance works because traders tolerate complexity for profit. That’s not vision. That’s just knowing your audience will put up with clunky UX if there’s money on the table.
Where She’s Dangerously Wrong
But here’s where Liu’s retreat becomes myopic: financialization of everything is the vision. It’s just not the version we’ve built yet.
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Every digital asset—from in-game items to social engagement, creative work, and reputation—should be ownable, tradable, and liquid. The mistake wasn’t trying to bring blockchain to gaming or consumer applications. The mistake was building extractive tokenomics that enriched founders and VCs while creating zero genuine value for users.
When you can truly own your digital identity across platforms, trade gaming assets in open markets, and capture value from your creative output without platform rent-seeking, that is revolutionary. We just haven’t built the infrastructure properly yet.
“Read, write, own” wasn’t intellectually lazy. Implementing it via ponzinomics and calling it innovation? That was lazy.
Dismissing consumer applications entirely because the first wave failed is like abandoning e-commerce in 1999 because Pets.com crashed. The thesis wasn’t wrong, the timing, technology, and business models were premature.
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The Real Recalibration
Liu’s pivot conveniently arrives as consumer crypto collapses and institutional money flows toward tokenized securities and stablecoins. It’s easy to call this “strategic refocusing.” It’s harder to admit it’s also damage control.
This narrative shift lets the industry quietly abandon metaverse partnerships and DePIN experiments without acknowledging capital destruction. When those projects shutter, it’ll be spun as “returning to core competencies” rather than “we built products nobody wanted.”
But there’s a deeper risk here: if blockchain leaders concede that the technology only works for finance, we’re admitting we can’t compete with Web2 on user experience. We’re retreating to the one domain where regulatory arbitrage and 24/7 markets create structural advantages traditional systems can’t easily replicate.
That’s not a vision. That’s a surrender dressed up as pragmatism.
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What Actually Needs to Happen
The industry doesn’t need to choose between finance and consumer applications. It needs to stop treating blockchain as the product and start treating it as invisible infrastructure that enables genuinely superior experiences.
Finance will remain the killer app for the next few years because the ROI on improved settlement rails is measurable and institutions are finally ready to move. But the long game isn’t replacing Visa, it’s building an internet where value, ownership, and identity are native primitives, not bolt-on features controlled by platforms.
That requires financial rails robust enough to handle trillions in assets and consumer experiences good enough that users never think about the blockchain underneath.
Liu’s right that we need to build real markets, not just slap tokens on existing apps and call it innovation. But retreating entirely from consumer applications because the first attempts failed isn’t strategic, it’s a failure of imagination.
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The technology that enables programmable money can also enable programmable ownership, reputation, and creative economies. We just have to build products people actually want instead of products that make us feel ideologically pure.
Blockchain’s purpose isn’t just finance. It’s building an internet where value flows as freely as information and that future is a hell of a lot bigger than better payment rails.
Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure
Victoria, Seychelles, February 9, 2026— Bitget, the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), today announced the release of The UEX Security Standard: From Proof to Protection, a joint research report authored with blockchain security firm BlockSec. The report outlines a system-level security framework designed for exchanges operating across crypto, tokenized assets, and traditional financial markets within unified account environments.
As trading platforms evolve into Universal Exchanges, first coined by Bitget CEO Gracy Chen at its 7th year anniversary, security challenges extend beyond single-asset custody and on-chain safeguards. Unified margin systems, shared settlement infrastructure, and cross-market access introduce new risks, with failures at the account, data, or permission layer capable of rippling across products and asset classes. The report addresses these challenges by shifting the security conversation from isolated controls toward continuous, verifiable resilience.
The UEX Security Standard defines five core benchmarks for the next generation of exchange security: verifiable solvency, multi-asset risk isolation, data security and privacy protection, AI-driven dynamic monitoring, and resilient application and infrastructure defense. Together, these standards aim to ensure that risks can be contained, correctness can be verified, and trust can scale alongside platform complexity.
The framework is grounded in measurable safeguards already in place at Bitget, including a regular Proof of Reserves reporting and a strong Protection Fund. These measures are reinforced through collaboration with BlockSec, spanning real-time monitoring, offensive security testing, incident response readiness, and compliance-grade controls such as AML screening and fund tracing.
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“The transition to Universal Exchanges changes the nature of security risk,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget.“Security can no longer focus on individual assets or reactive disclosure. It must operate at the system level, where risks are identified early, isolated by design, and verified under real-world conditions.”
From BlockSec’s perspective, the report reflects a broader industry shift toward integrated security architectures. “UEX is not just a product upgrade. It is a structural shift in how trading infrastructure and security must work,”said Yajin Zhou, Co-founder and CEO of BlockSec. “When you combine crypto-native assets with stocks, ETFs, and other off-chain instruments, the security boundary expands dramatically. Platforms must prove asset transparency, ensure pricing integrity, and secure off-chain dependencies to the same standard as on-chain systems. UEX demands a unified, verifiable security framework that can protect multi-asset trading at scale.”
Beyond technical architecture, the report also emphasizes transparency, emergency response readiness, and user education as part of a comprehensive security model. It positions security not as a static feature, but as an operating discipline that must evolve alongside market structure and product complexity.
The UEX report is intended to serve as a reference point for exchanges, regulators, and market participants navigating the next phase of multi-asset trading infrastructure.
Bitget is the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), serving over 125 million users and offering access to over 2M crypto tokens, 100+ tokenized stocks, ETFs, commodities, FX, and precious metals such as gold. The ecosystem is committed to helping users trade smarter with its AI agent, which co-pilots trade execution. Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships with LALIGA and MotoGP™. Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. Bitget currently leads in the tokenized TradFi market, providing the industry’s lowest fees and highest liquidity across 150 regions worldwide.
Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to ourTerms of Use.
Bitmine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) added to its ether ETH$2,063.57 holdings amid last week’s crypto crash, bringing its stack to more than 4.3 million tokens worth about $8.7 billion at the current price just above $2,000.
Led by Chairman Tom Lee, the company, which is the world’s largest holder of ETH, purchased another 40,613 tokens over the past week, though it didn’t disclose the average buy price. ETH began the week above $2,300 and plunged to as low as $1,700 before closing out the week just above $2,000.
BMNR shares are flat in early trading on Monday, though lower by 34% year-to-date.
“Bitmine has been steadily buying Ethereum, as we view this pullback as attractive, given the strengthening fundamentals,” said Lee in a press release. “In our view, the price of ETH is not reflective of the high utility of ETH and its role as the future of finance.”
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Two-thirds of the firm’s ETH, around 2.9 million tokens, are already staked, generating an annualized yield of $202 million.
Bitmine remains deeply underwater on its ETH purchases. Based on data from Dropstab, the company sits on a $7.8 billion loss on its ether holdings, which it bought at an average price of $3,826.
Silver continues to sit at the intersection of monetary confidence, industrial transformation, and geopolitical tension. Its price history shows repeated phases of sharp repricing followed by consolidation, reflecting shifts in macro conditions rather than steady progression.
Looking ahead, silver’s role in electrification, combined with fiscal and currency dynamics, keeps it firmly in focus for market participants. This article examines silver’s historical price behaviour and provides analysts’ silver price predictions for the next 5 years, placing recent developments within a broader market context.
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Analytical Forecast Summary
2026
For 2026, estimates span roughly $92 to $262, with bank views clustering around $100 while some retail-aggregator models extend far higher. The spread reflects uncertainty around real yields, dollar direction, and how long physical tightness persists after the January volatility spike.
2027
In 2027, forecasts widen further, from about $112 to $374. Some views lean on a lower gold-silver ratio as a driver of relative upside, while others assume industrial thrifting and substitution cap follow-through after any sharp repricing
2028
Silver’s projected price in 2028 ranges from around $128 to $423. This gap largely comes down to how much PV and electrification demand offsets lower silver intensity per unit and whether supply response remains slow.
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2029
2029 estimates run from roughly $136 to $443. Longer-range numbers diverge on whether investment demand remains episodic or returns in multi-quarter waves during macro stress.
2030
Forecasts for 2030 sit between about $143 and $499, implying continued volatility rather than a linear trend, with outcomes hinging on fiscal dynamics, monetary credibility, and the balance between demand growth and supply constraints.
Silver’s Price History
Silver’s price history is marked by dramatic fluctuations, reflecting the interplay of market forces, geopolitical events, and investor behaviour.
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Silver Thursday (1980)
One of the most significant periods was in the late 1970s and early 1980s, notably during the Silver Thursday event of 1980. After the precious metal began climbing in the latter half of the 1970s, an attempt by the Hunt brothers to corner the market in January 1980 led to silver prices reaching an all-time high of $49.45 per troy ounce—from the 1979’s high of $28— before crashing to a low of $4.90 at the end of 1982.
The Early 21st Century (2000-2011)
Following the dot-com bubble burst in the early 2000s, silver and other precious metals began a bullish run as investors sought so-called safe-haven assets amidst economic uncertainty. However, after surging from a low of around $4.43 in November 2002 to a high of $15.23 in May 2006, prices stalled. It eventually rose again, driven by a combination of investment demand, industrial applications, and concerns over fiat currency devaluation in the run-up to the Great Financial Crisis of 2008.
While it dipped as the crisis unfolded, silver spiked in the following years, reaching an all-time high of roughly $50 in April 2011.
A Volatile Period in Silver’s History (2012-2026)
However, silver then reversed hard, ending 2011 near $27.80 and sliding again as tighter policy expectations built. The downswing carried into the mid-2010s, with a trough around $13.9 in late 2015/early 2016. For much of 2014-2019 it rotated in a $15-$20 band as US rates rose and the dollar firmed.
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In March 2020, the COVID liquidity shock pushed silver below $12, then stimulus and reflation trades drove a fast rebound towards $29 by August 2020. A retail-driven “silver squeeze” wave in early 2021 lifted it to around $30 before momentum faded.
Fed tightening and a stronger dollar weighed again in 2022, taking prices back toward $18 before stabilising. A break higher gathered pace from May 2024 (moves through $32-$35 linked to tight physical conditions and strong solar-related demand signals), then 2025 accelerated: silver cleared the prior nominal record in October near $54.50 and pushed higher into year-end. In January 2026, price action became disorderly, with a spike to over $121 late in the month. At the time of writing on the 29th of January, silver stands at around $114.
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Interested readers can head over to FXOpen’s TickTrader platform to explore silver price trends using our interactive XAG/USD charts.
Analytical Silver Prices Forecasts for 2026
Silver enters 2026 after a steep 2024–January 2026 run and a sharp volatility spike. The key issue for silver price predictions is whether the metal rises on strong fundamental factors, or corrects as the factors change.
Macro, Rates, and Debasement Concerns
Rate-path pricing and the US dollar remain central. If real yields drift lower and fiscal deficits stay elevated, concerns about currency depreciation may continue to influence investment flows into precious metals. Persistent budget imbalances, heavy Treasury issuance, and questions around long-term currency purchasing power remain a central part of the backdrop.
Industrial Demand and Manufacturing Thrift
Solar, electrification, and electronics demand stay in focus, but 2025 highlighted a clear constraint: higher prices encouraged reduced silver loadings in PV cells and components. If prices remain elevated, further thrifting and substitution may lower silver demand.
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Supply, Inventories, and Physical Tightness
The silver market has recorded several annual deficits in recent years. Analysts note a decline in above-ground inventories and heightened sensitivity to regional physical flows. While recycling supply may rise in response to price incentives, primary mine output is likely to remain relatively inelastic given silver’s predominantly by-product production profile.
Volatility and Positioning
After the January spike, silver may trade in wide ranges driven by ETF flows, futures positioning, and liquidity conditions. The 2025 breakout zone around $28-$35 remains important; sustained trade below it could point to a deeper reset.
Analytical Silver Price Predictions for 2026
Silver price forecasts for 2026 reflect a market adjusting after sharp repricing, with views shaped by macro policy uncertainty, physical availability, and shifting investor positioning.
Most Pessimistic Projection for Mid-Year 2026: $92 (Commerzbank)
Most Optimistic Projection for Mid-Year 2026: $215 (CoinPriceForecast)
Most Pessimistic Projection for End-of-Year 2026: $85 (UBS)
Most Optimistic Projection for End-of-Year 2026: $262 (CoinPriceForecast).
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Citigroup outlines one of the most aggressive near-term outlooks, pointing to $150/oz by mid-2026. Commodities strategist Max Layton links this view to strong Chinese buying, supply constraints, and persistent structural imbalances. Citi characterises silver as behaving like “gold squared”, arguing the move may persist until valuations appear stretched relative to gold.
Commerzbank has lifted its expectations materially, now seeing $92/oz by mid-2026 and $95/oz by year-end, up sharply from late-2025 assumptions. Analyst Carsten Fritsch points to escalating geopolitical tensions, including unrest in Iran and the risk of wider confrontation, while cautioning that higher prices may accelerate industrial thrifting or substitution towards cheaper metals.
Analytical Silver Price Forecasts for 2027 and Beyond
Beyond 2026, silver price predictions become less about short-term positioning and more about structural forces shaping demand, supply, and capital allocation.
Structural Demand Versus Intensity Decline
Solar, grid expansion, EVs, and data infrastructure continue to absorb material volumes, but the focus shifts from headline installation growth to silver intensity per unit. PV manufacturers, battery systems, and electronics producers are expected to keep reducing silver loadings where technically feasible. This creates a tension: total volumes may rise, but marginal demand growth becomes more sensitive to price. Periods of elevated prices risk flattening fabrication demand.
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Fiscal Dynamics and Monetary Credibility
Longer term, silver remains exposed to currency debasement narratives rather than cyclical rate expectations alone. Persistent fiscal deficits, rising sovereign debt servicing costs, and political resistance to austerity may keep precious metals embedded in asset-allocation discussions. Unlike 2024–2026, this influence is expected to express itself episodically rather than through sustained one-way moves.
Supply Response Lag
Mine supply response beyond 2027 remains constrained. Supply elasticity remains low: as most silver is mined as a by-product, production levels are often dictated by the economics of copper, lead, or zinc rather than silver market trends. Recycling growth faces natural limits after several years of elevated prices pulling forward scrap supply. This could keep the market sensitive to demand shocks.
Analytical Silver Price Predictions: 2027
The 2027 outlook points to a continuation of longer-cycle themes, with some analyses focusing on relative valuation against gold while others factor in demand moderation from industrial thrift.
Most Pessimistic Projection for Mid-Year 2027: $112 (Gov Capital)
Most Optimistic Projection for Mid-Year 2027: $336 (CoinPriceForecast)
Most Pessimistic Projection for End-of-Year 2027: $115 (Gov Capital)
Most Optimistic Projection for End-of-Year 2027: $374 (CoinPriceForecast)
HSBC’s James Steel expects physical market tightness to ease gradually through 2027 as supply-side pressures resolve. The bank projects the global deficit narrowing further as industrial demand weakens, while mine output and recycling rise. Steel notes that elevated prices are encouraging “substitution, thrifting and design changes” across industrial applications, with jewellery demand “especially vulnerable.”
Oxford Economics, in a December 2025 report on behalf of the Silver Institute, projects that electric vehicles will overtake internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles as the primary source of automotive silver demand by 2027. Electric vehicles consume, “on average, 67-79 percent more silver than ICE vehicles.”
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Data centres powering AI systems represent another expanding offtake channel; as digitisation accelerates, demand for silver’s superior conductivity in servers and infrastructure is expected to rise in tandem. Oxford Economics characterises silver as a “next-generation metal,” concluding it will “remain an essential component across multiple high-growth sectors as industries race to embrace digital innovation and meet clean energy mandates.”
Analytical Silver Price Predictions: 2028
By 2028, projections diverge more clearly as assumptions vary around supply response timing, sustained electrification demand, and the durability of investment flows.
Most Pessimistic Projection for Mid-Year 2028: $128 (Gov Capital)
Most Optimistic Projection for Mid-Year 2028: $392 (CoinPriceForecast)
Most Pessimistic Projection for End-of-Year 2028: $142 (Gov Capital)
Most Optimistic Projection for End-of-Year 2028: $423 (CoinPriceForecast)
Analytical Silver Price Predictions: 2029
The 2029 outlook reflects growing uncertainty over macro structure rather than short-term cycles, with outcomes tied to fiscal dynamics, currency credibility, and episodic capital rotation.
Most Pessimistic Projection for Mid-Year 2029: $136 (Wallet Investor)
Most Optimistic Projection for Mid-Year 2029: $438 (CoinPriceForecast)
Most Pessimistic Projection for End-of-Year 2029: $141 (Wallet Investor)
Most Optimistic Projection for End-of-Year 2029: $443 (CoinPriceForecast)
Analytical Silver Price Predictions: 2030
Looking at long-term silver price forecasts in 2030, estimates frame silver as a hybrid asset, where price behaviour depends on whether structural demand pressures outweigh gradual supply adaptation and periodic volatility.
Most Pessimistic Projection for Mid-Year 2030: $143 (Wallet Investor)
Most Optimistic Projection for Mid-Year 2030: $477 (CoinPriceForecast)
Most Pessimistic Projection for End-of-Year 2030: $149 (Wallet Investor)
Most Optimistic Projection for End-of-Year 2030: $499 (CoinPriceForecast)
Factors That Might Affect the Silver’s Price
Silver prices are shaped by a dynamic blend of economic, geopolitical, and industrial factors, reflecting its dual role as both an investment and an industrial metal. Key factors going forward include:
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Industrial Demand: Silver’s extensive use in technologies like solar panels and electronics directly influences its price.
Economic Conditions: Economic growth increases silver demand in manufacturing, while downturns often boost its appeal as a so-called safe-haven asset.
Monetary Policy: Interest rate changes can shift investor preference between silver and yield-bearing assets.
US Dollar Strength: An inverse relationship exists between XAG prices and the US dollar; a stronger dollar can suppress its price.
Geopolitical Tensions: Conflicts and instability tend to increase investment in silver as a so-called protective measure.
Gold/Silver Ratio: This indicator may help investors decide when to buy silver over gold, affecting demand and prices.
The Bottom Line
Silver’s outlook remains shaped by a mix of macro uncertainty, fiscal dynamics, and structural industrial demand. Price behaviour over the coming years is likely to reflect shifts in real yields, currency confidence, and supply constraints rather than linear trends, with volatility remaining a defining feature.
If you are looking to trade Silver via CFDs, you can consider opening an FXOpen account and get access to the advanced trading tools and more than 700 instruments.
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FAQ
Will Silver Go Up in 2026?
Silver’s direction in 2026 depends on real yields, dollar trends, and physical market conditions. Some analysts point to support from tight supply and debasement concerns, while others highlight scope for consolidation after the January volatility spike.
Is Silver a Good Investment in 2026?
Silver is analysed as a hybrid asset with both industrial and monetary drivers. Its role in electrification and sensitivity to macro stress may support portfolio diversification, though price behaviour in 2026 is expected to remain uneven.
Will Silver Hit $200?
Some analyses outline scenarios above $200 based on historical gold-silver ratios compressing sharply. These outcomes assume sustained macro stress and strong investment flows, and sit well outside base-case assumptions from major banks.
What Will Silver Be Worth by 2030?
By 2030, analytical estimates range widely between $143 and almost $500, reflecting uncertainty around fiscal dynamics, supply response, and industrial demand intensity. Longer-range views agree that the future of silver prices will likely be volatile and shaped by macro structure and capital flows.
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How Do Traders Trade Silver in Forex?
Silver cannot be traded on the forex market, as it is a currency market. However, it can be traded in the XAG/USD pair via CFDs. If you are interested in CFD trading, you can consider opening an FXOpen account and get access to over 700 instruments and 1,200 analytical tools.
This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.
[PRESS RELEASE – Amsterdam, Netherlands, February 9th, 2026]
NOWPayments, a crypto payment gateway, has announced a limited-time promotion offering zero network fees on USDT (TRC20) payments for new partners.
To access the zero-fee option, users need to register with NOWPayments and enable Custody in their dashboard. Enabling Custody also provides access to additional features such as Mass Payouts and off-chain conversions, allowing businesses to streamline payment flows and manage settlements more efficiently.
The initiative allows newly registered merchants to accept USDT TRC20 payments without network fees for the first two months*, helping businesses save on operational costs while exploring crypto payments in a real-world environment.
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The offer is designed to support companies across multiple industries – including iGaming, Trading, Software as a Service (SaaS), and technology teams such as IT companies and developers – by lowering the barrier to entry for stablecoin payments. By removing network fees on USDT TRC20 deposits, NOWPayments enables merchants to experience fast, reliable, and cost-efficient crypto transactions from day one.
“Our mission is to make crypto payments practical and accessible for businesses of all sizes,” said Kate Lifshits, CEO of NOWPayments. “This promotion gives new partners the opportunity to evaluate our infrastructure without additional network costs – from seamless API integration to near-instant settlement.”
In addition to the zero-fee promotion, NOWPayments supports 350 cryptocurrencies, including 20+ stablecoins across Ethereum, Tron, Binance Smart Chain, Solana, Polygon and other blockchain networks. Payments can reach finality in under a minute, depending on the network, with no limits on transaction size – large-value payments are processed at the same speed as smaller ones. The platform also imposes no limits on transaction volume, offering high throughput and enabling businesses to process a large number of payments efficiently and at scale.
NOWPayments also offers a comprehensive set of payment tools, including:
Permanent deposit addresses
Mass payouts with 0% fee
Average transaction time of approximately 1 minute
Fiat off-ramp & on-ramp support
Gateway fees of 0.5% for single-currency payments and 1% for payments with conversion
These features position NOWPayments as a flexible and scalable payment solution for businesses seeking transparent, efficient, and compliant crypto payment infrastructure.
About NOWPayments
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NOWPayments is a cryptocurrency payment gateway that helps businesses to accept, manage, and distribute crypto payments across more than 350 digital assets. Founded in 2019, the platform supports companies operating in iGaming, eCommerce, and other high-risk industries with permanent deposit addresses, mass payout tools, fiat off-ramp & on-ramp capabilities, and average transaction times of under three minutes.
* The promotion applies to USDT (TRC20) payments only and is available to new users for a period of two months.
Disclaimer
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This communication is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, financial, or legal advice. It is not intended as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation and does not create any binding obligations. Terms and conditions may change without notice. Cryptoassets are highly volatile and may result in total loss of capital. Service availability and regulatory status depend on your jurisdiction. Users can refer to the Terms & Conditions for further details.
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Monday.com (MNDY) beat Q4 earnings with $1.04 per share versus $0.92 expected and revenue of $333.9 million against $329.51 million consensus
Stock plunged 15% in premarket trading despite the earnings beat on disappointing 2026 guidance
Company projects 2026 operating income of $165-$175 million, well below Wall Street’s $218 million estimate
Full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $1.45-$1.46 billion missed analyst expectations of $1.48 billion
MNDY shares are down 34% year-to-date, caught in the broader software sector selloff
Monday.com stock tumbled in early trading Monday despite posting fourth-quarter results that topped Wall Street expectations. The work-management software provider delivered an earnings beat but spooked investors with cautious guidance for the year ahead.
The company reported adjusted earnings of $1.04 per share for the fourth quarter. That beat analyst estimates of $0.92 per share by $0.12.
Revenue came in at $333.9 million for the quarter. That topped the consensus estimate of $329.51 million and marked a 25% increase from the same period last year.
But investors quickly shifted their focus to the company’s 2026 outlook. Monday.com projected operating income between $165 million and $175 million for the full year.
That forecast fell well short of Wall Street’s expectations. Analysts had been expecting operating income of $218 million heading into the earnings report.
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The revenue guidance also disappointed. Monday.com expects 2026 revenue between $1.45 billion and $1.46 billion.
Analysts had estimated $1.48 billion for the full year. The midpoint of Monday.com’s guidance represents a roughly $30 million shortfall from expectations.
Market Reaction and Stock Performance
Shares dropped 15% in premarket trading following the earnings release. The stock closed Friday at $98.00 after a brutal stretch for the company.
MNDY is down 34% year-to-date. The stock has fallen 38.98% over the past three months.
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The 12-month performance looks even worse. Shares have declined 69.99% over the past year.
Monday.com has been swept up in the broader software sector selloff. The entire industry has faced pressure as investors rotate out of growth stocks.
Analyst Activity and Financial Health
The company has seen mostly positive analyst activity in recent months. Monday.com received 17 positive earnings revisions in the last 90 days.
Only one negative revision came through during that period. InvestingPro rates Monday.com’s financial health score as showing “good performance.”
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The earnings beat marks another quarter of execution on the top and bottom lines. But the conservative guidance suggests management sees headwinds ahead.
The operating income miss of roughly $50 million at the midpoint raises questions about profitability expectations. Revenue growth is expected to continue but at a pace that fell short of analyst models.
The stock’s steep decline this year reflects both company-specific concerns and broader sector weakness. Software stocks have faced multiple compression as interest rates remain elevated.
Monday.com’s Q4 revenue of $333.9 million beat estimates by $4.39 million while earnings per share topped forecasts by 13%.
The company’s latest purchase raised some eyebrows due to the poor timing.
Michael Saylor, the Bitcoin champion behind Strategy’s BTC accumulation strategy, announced minutes ago the latest acquisition made by the company, in which it spent $90 million to accumulate 1,142 units.
Consequently, the firm’s total stash has grown to 714,644 BTC, acquired at an average price of $76,056 for a total of $54.35 billion. Thus, Strategy’s bitcoin holdings continue to be in the red as the asset trades below $70,000 at press time.
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Strategy has acquired 1,142 BTC for ~$90.0 million at ~$78,815 per bitcoin. As of 2/8/2026, we hodl 714,644 $BTC acquired for ~$54.35 billion at ~$76,056 per bitcoin. $MSTR$STRChttps://t.co/4X2c81LQwm
Given the cryptocurrency’s adverse movements over the past week or so, the average price of $78,815 per BTC means that Strategy completed its acquisition on Monday or Tuesday. After all, the asset plunged hard in the following days and hasn’t traded at such high prices for a week now.
This raised some questions within the cryptocurrency community, including Satoshi Flipper, who indicated that buying BTC at these levels, even with DCA, makes these purchases “beyond silly.”
DCA all the way but what’s up with these purchase prices, they are beyond silly.
$78k?
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So the last time price was $78k it was 2/2-2/3 … these must be purchases made 1 week ago. https://t.co/V0LSZvS4yr
Interestingly, Strategy’s stock prices ended the previous week on a high note, skyrocketing by over 26% to $135. However, MSTR has dropped by nearly 4% in pre-market trading today. On a monthly scale, MSTR’s price is down by 14% despite Friday’s bounce.
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XRP recently suffered a sharp sell-off that dragged the price close to the $1.00 level, marking its lowest point in nearly 15 months. The decline shook market confidence and triggered widespread fear among short-term holders.
However, XRP avoided a deeper breakdown at the last moment. The key question now is whether downside pressure will resume or stabilize.
XRP Holders Exhibit Mixed Signals
Large XRP holders have returned to accumulation mode during the downturn. Wallets holding between 100 million and 1 billion XRP acquired more than 1.6 billion tokens over the past week. At current prices, this buying exceeds $2.24 billion, signaling renewed interest from influential market participants.
This accumulation helped support XRP’s bounce from recent lows. Whale buying often absorbs sell-side pressure and stabilizes price during volatile phases. While it does not guarantee immediate recovery, such activity improves liquidity conditions and provides a foundation for short-term price resilience.
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Want more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.XRP Whale Holding. Source: Santiment
Long-term holders remain cautious despite whale accumulation. The recent crash appears to have weakened confidence built over the prior weeks. XRP’s Liveliness indicator spiked during the decline, signaling increased movement of long-held tokens back into circulation.
A rising Liveliness reading suggests long-term holders are shifting from accumulation to distribution. This behavior is concerning because long-term investors typically anchor market stability. If their selling continues, it could offset whale demand and limit XRP’s ability to sustain a recovery rally.
XRP Liveliness. Source: Glassnode
XRP Traders Under Pressure
Derivatives positioning highlights a bearish bias in XRP’s broader market structure. Liquidation data shows roughly $399 million in short exposure compared with $152 million in long positions. This imbalance suggests traders are positioning for further downside rather than a sustained rebound.
XRP is particularly vulnerable if the price revisits the $1.00 level. A breakdown below that threshold could trigger cascading liquidations. Such an event would amplify volatility and accelerate selling, reinforcing bearish momentum in the futures market.
XRP Liquidation Map. Source: Coinglass
XRP Price Is Holding Support
XRP is trading near $1.44 at the time of writing, holding above the $1.42 support level. On the weekly chart, the token briefly dipped to $1.11 before rebounding. This move marked XRP’s lowest level in 15 months, stopping just above the critical $1.00 psychological zone.
Given current conditions, a retest of lower support remains possible. Weak long-term holder confidence and bearish derivatives positioning increase downside risk. A loss of $1.42 could send XRP back toward $1.11, where buyers would need to defend aggressively to prevent further losses.
A bullish alternative exists if selling pressure fades. Continued whale accumulation could help XRP regain momentum. A push toward $1.91 would mark a significant recovery. Breaking that resistance could lift the price toward $2.00, invalidating the bearish thesis and restoring market confidence.
Michael Saylor’s Strategy, the world’s largest public holder of Bitcoin, added another tranche of BTC last week, expanding its holdings without pushing its overall cost basis lower.
Strategy acquired 1,142 Bitcoin (BTC) for $90 million last week, according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Monday.
The acquisitions were made at an average price of $78,815 per BTC despite Bitcoin trading below that level for most of the week and briefly touching $60,000 on Coinbase last Thursday.
Source: SEC
The latest buy brought Strategy’s total Bitcoin holdings to 714,644 BTC, purchased for around $54.35 billion at an average price of $76,056 per coin.
Strategy misses the Bitcoin dip?
By buying Bitcoin at close to $79,000 per coin, Strategy avoided lowering the average cost basis of its existing holdings.
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Bitcoin, however, has traded well below that level for almost a week. The price fell sharply below $78,000 last Tuesday and has not climbed above the $72,000 mark since, according to Coinbase data.
Bitcoin price versus Strategy’s average purchase price. Source: SaylorTracker
The purchase marks Strategy’s second Bitcoin acquisition as the cryptocurrency trades below the company’s average acquisition price of $76,056.
Strategy faced a similar situation in 2022 when Bitcoin fell below $30,000 while its average purchase price stood at about $30,600. At the time, Strategy significantly slowed the pace of its buying, though it continued to make smaller purchases even at prices below its cost basis.
In the lead-up to the purchase, some market participants speculated that Strategy would try to avoid buying below its average cost this cycle, given the optics around unrealized losses.
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Some users joked that Michael Saylor might instead announce another purchase at much higher levels.
“Saylor on Monday: We’ve added another 1,000 bitcoins at an average price of $95,000,” one market observer joked in an X post on Friday.
Source: Breadman
Strategy (MSTR) shares have mirrored Bitcoin’s volatility, dropping to around $107 last Thursday, according to TradingView data.
In line with a minor rebound on crypto markets, the stock started rising on Friday, posting a spike of 26% to close at around $135.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently. Read our Editorial Policy https://cointelegraph.com/editorial-policy
Editor’s note: As market attention remains heavily concentrated on AI and high-growth technology stocks, this announcement highlights a quieter but notable shift toward defensive, income-generating equities. Drawing on recent market performance, the release points to McDonald’s and Coca-Cola as examples of established companies that have outperformed broader indices during recent volatility. With both firms reporting earnings this week, the commentary frames dividends and consumer resilience as key factors for investors, particularly in the UAE, who are increasingly focused on global diversification and portfolio balance amid uncertain macro conditions.
Key points
McDonald’s shares are up 8% and Coca-Cola shares have gained 14% while the Nasdaq has turned negative.
Both companies are positioned as defensive holdings supported by strong brands and consistent demand.
Upcoming earnings reports are expected to provide insight into consumer and discretionary spending trends.
Dividend growth remains a central theme, with decades-long records of consecutive increases.
Why this matters
The focus on dividend-paying, defensive stocks underscores a broader reassessment of risk as market volatility persists. For investors and portfolio builders, particularly in the UAE, the performance of established consumer brands offers a counterbalance to exposure in higher-growth and more volatile sectors such as AI and crypto. Earnings results from companies with global and regional footprints can also serve as practical indicators of consumer health, helping market participants gauge resilience across different economic environments.
What to watch next
McDonald’s and Coca-Cola earnings results and management commentary this week.
Updates on margins, pricing strategies, and consumer demand trends.
Market reaction to dividend sustainability and forward guidance.
Disclosure: The content below is a press release provided by the company/PR representative. It is published for informational purposes.
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – February 09, 2026: While global markets remain heavily focused on artificial intelligence and technology stocks, this enthusiasm has shifted attention away from steady performers that continue to offer reliability during uncertain times. After a strong start to the year, the Nasdaq has turned negative, yet McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) shares have risen 8% and Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) has gained 14%. Both companies have demonstrated resilience across multiple market cycles, supported by strong brand power and consistent demand.
Zavier Wong, Market Analyst at eToro
“In volatile markets, dividend-paying stocks offer something precious: stability,” said Zavier Wong, Market Analyst at eToro. “These are mature, financially sound businesses that continue to reward shareholders even when markets pull back.”
For investors in the UAE, where diversification across global markets is a growing priority, defensive and income-generating stocks deserve renewed attention. While recent investor enthusiasm has largely centred on high-growth sectors such as AI and crypto, reliable dividend payers continue to play an important role in building balanced portfolios.
Both McDonald’s and Coca-Cola report earnings this week, offering valuable insight into the health of the consumer and discretionary spending trends.
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For McDonald’s, investor focus will be on its ability to maintain margins while driving customer traffic, particularly as lower-income consumers scale back spending. Value-focused offerings have been key to sustaining demand. The company also maintains a significant presence across the Middle East, operating more than 2,000 locations in the region.
Coca-Cola, which controls around 45% of the global carbonated soft drink market and owns five of the world’s top ten beverage brands, including Sprite and Fanta, is expected to demonstrate continued resilience. Fourth-quarter revenue is forecast to grow by 5%, with margins remaining stable.
Both companies continue to offer defensive qualities in today’s volatile market environment. If earnings results confirm resilient demand, it reinforces the case for holding these stocks as stabilising positions. McDonald’s has increased its dividend for nearly 50 consecutive years, while Coca-Cola has done so for more than 60.
“They may not be the flashiest names in the market,” Wong added, “but in turbulent times, they’re the kind of stocks that help keep portfolios steady. Sometimes, boring is brilliant.”
About eToro
eToro is the trading and investing platform that empowers you to invest, share and learn. We were founded in 2007 with the vision of a world where everyone can trade and invest in a simple and transparent way. Today we have 40 million registered users from 75 countries. We believe there is power in shared knowledge and that we can become more successful by investing together. So we’ve created a collaborative investment community designed to provide you with the tools you need to grow your knowledge and wealth. On eToro, you can hold a range of traditional and innovative assets and choose how you invest: trade directly, invest in a portfolio, or copy other investors. You can visit our media centre here for our latest news.
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Disclaimers:
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
eToro is a group of companies that are authorised and regulated in their respective jurisdictions. The regulatory authorities overseeing eToro include:
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK
The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) in Cyprus
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in Australia
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) in the Seychelles
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) in the UAE
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in Singapore
This communication is for information and education purposes only and should not be taken as investment advice, a personal recommendation, or an offer of, or solicitation to buy or sell, any financial instruments. This material has been prepared without taking into account any particular recipient’s investment objectives or financial situation, and has not been prepared in accordance with the legal and regulatory requirements to promote independent research. Any references to past or future performance of a financial instrument, index or a packaged investment product are not, and should not be taken as, a reliable indicator of future results. eToro makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this publication.
Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure
Over the past two years, the landscape for crypto derivatives has shifted dramatically. A significant contraction in the supply of ETF leveraged tokens has occurred across top-tier exchanges. Platforms that previously championed these products have initiated phased suspensions, halted subscriptions, or delisted leveraged pairs entirely throughout 2024 and 2025. However, the demand for leverage among traders has not vanished. It has simply been displaced.
In this environment of market retrenchment, Gate has taken a contrarian approach. Rather than withdrawing, Gate has doubled down, treating ETF leveraged tokens not as a niche add-on, but as a core product line. By prioritizing transparent mechanisms and a unified low-fee framework, Gate has transformed what was once a complex instrument into a scalable, user-friendly tactical tool.
Why Exchanges Are Leaving
In the context of crypto, ETFs generally refer to ETF Leveraged Tokens. These are tokenized instruments traded on the spot market that track perpetual futures positions, allowing users to gain leveraged exposure (e.g., 3x Long BTC) without managing margin or liquidation prices.
Despite their utility, these products are highly structured. Without robust risk controls and clear user education, they are susceptible to volatility decay in ranging markets. Consequently, major platforms have exited the space to minimize compliance risks and user disputes. For example, exchange no. 1.phased out leveraged token services in early 2024, eventually discontinuing support, and exchange no. 2. followed suit in late 2025, issuing batch delisting announcements for BTC and other major assets.
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This industry wide reduction has created a vacuum. As comparable platforms shrink, product availability itself has become a scarce competitive advantage. Gate has stepped in to absorb this liquidity, offering a stable home for short-term leveraged trading demand.
Simplifying Leverage With Unified Fees
Gate’s ETF architecture is designed to map professional derivatives positions into a simple tokenized format. For the user, the experience mirrors spot trading, there is no need to monitor margin maintenance or fear sudden liquidation events.
A key differentiator is Gate’s approach to cost transparency. In derivatives trading, costs are often fragmented across funding rates, trading fees, and slippage. Gate consolidates these fragmented costs into a single, understandable metric known as the unified management fee. This flat 0.1% daily fee is entirely all-inclusive, covering everything from hedging costs and funding rates to potential trading friction.
By packaging costs at the product level, Gate shifts the complexity from the user to the platform. The user gets a predictable cost structure, while the platform leverages professional expertise to manage execution and hedging.
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Transparency in Mechanics
The sustainability of leveraged tokens relies on explainability. Two critical variables define these products: the Net Asset Value (NAV) and Rebalancing Rules.
The sustainability of leveraged tokens relies on explainability. Unlike competitors that often operated these mechanisms as “black boxes,” Gate provides explicit parameter disclosures. This includes specific leverage fluctuation ranges where rebalancing is not triggered, which significantly reduces frictional costs in choppy markets.
For instance, Gate ensures position stability by avoiding rebalancing for 3x Long tokens as long as leverage stays between 2.25x and 4.125x, while the 3x Short variant maintains a range of 1.5x to 5.25x. Similarly, for 5x tokens, no adjustments are triggered unless the leverage moves outside the 3.5x to 7x boundary. These technical parameters are vital for professional traders as they minimize the “decay” often associated with these products during range-bound price action.
Scale by the Numbers
Gate’s ecosystem is expanding. According to Gate’s 2025 annual report, the “Scale Effect” of their ETF product line is evident in the platform’s ability to support 244 different ETF leveraged tokens throughout the year. This robust supply served a cumulative user base of over 200,000 traders, driving average daily trading volumes into the hundreds of millions of dollars. This growth is supported by continuous technical iterations, including the launch of multidimensional data dashboards, rebalancing history displays, and specialized educational modules designed to reduce the learning curve for new participants.
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The platform’s success is not merely a result of being one of the last providers standing, but rather a reflection of its commitment to product depth. Gate continues to broaden its asset coverage, ensuring that users can access leveraged exposure across a diverse range of emerging and established tokens. Looking ahead, Gate plans to build on this momentum by introducing sophisticated new formats, such as portfolio ETFs and low-leverage inverse ETFs. By retaining technical complexity at the platform level while delivering operational certainty to the user, Gate is positioning itself to capture an even larger share of the short-term leveraged trading market.
Conclusion
The industry wide contraction of leveraged tokens was not a failure of the concept, but a failure of execution regarding transparency and education. Gate has succeeded where others retreated by systematizing the product.
By offering clear disclosures, a unified 0.1% daily fee, and a spot-like user experience, Gate has built a sustainable ecosystem that preserves the utility of leverage while mitigating its complexity. As the market matures, Gate’s ETF offering stands as a testament to the value of explainable, transparent financial engineering.
Disclaimer: Investing in the cryptocurrency market involves high risk. Users are advised to conduct independent research and fully understand the nature of the assets and products before making any investment decisions. Gate is not liable for any losses or damages resulting from such investment activities.
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