In the opening weeks of 2026, crypto‑exposed equities have posted gains of 20–50%, sharply outperforming Bitcoin's roughly 9% year‑to‑date rise. Individual stocks such as Metaplanet, Galaxy Digital, Iren, and Bitdeer have led the move, while Coinbase and Robinhood slid after a key US digital asset bill was delayed.

BitMine Immersion Technologies, chaired by Tom Lee, staked 342,560 ETH worth roughly $1 billion over a 48-hour period, tightening Ethereum's liquid supply and reshaping validator onboarding dynamics. The move has pushed Ethereum's staking entry queue to around 735,000 ETH with activation waits exceeding 12 days, while the exit queue sits near 344,000 ETH and averages six days.