Currency and Stock Barometer丨Vanguard's US Mid-Cap Index Fund Acquires Over $500 Million in Strategy Stocks for the First Time; Bitmine's Total Staking Exceeds 1.77 Million ETH, Valued at Over $5.6 Billion (January 20)

marsbitPublished on 2026-01-20Last updated on 2026-01-20

Abstract

Crypto-linked stocks showed signs of rebound last week, with companies like BTC treasury firm Strategy seeing share price recoveries. Key market influences include the Fed chair nomination, reduced expectations for rate cuts, and progress on the U.S. CLARITY Crypto Act. Vanguard’s mid-cap index fund purchased $505 million worth of Strategy shares. Strive acquired Semler Scientific, becoming the 11th largest public BTC holder. Steak ‘n Shake added $10 million in BTC to its corporate treasury. BitMine staked an additional 86,848 ETH, bringing its total staked to over 1.77 million ETH valued at $5.65 billion. It also led a $200 million investment into Beast Industries. Meanwhile, FG Nexus sold 2,500 ETH, realizing losses. Solana treasury firm Sharps Technology entered a 90-day lock-up agreement with SOL Markets. Forward Industries reported holding nearly 6.98 million SOL with significant staking rewards. Upexi raised $36 million to expand its SOL holdings. AlphaTON Capital, a TON treasury company, raised $15 million through a public stock offering.

Editor's Note: After experiencing a continuous decline and volatility, last week, crypto concept stocks saw a phased broad-based rebound. Stocks of BTC treasury companies, represented by Strategy, warmed up one after another. Although there is still a considerable distance from the high point, signs of a rebound are emerging. At the same time, the main influencing factors in the market are gradually focusing on events such as the nomination of the new Federal Reserve Chairman, expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, and the progress of the US CLARITY Crypto Act. Considering the overall market situation, crypto concept stocks will continue to face pressure. It is recommended to maintain the previous "short-term rebound博弈 (gaming/strategy)" strategy and avoid going all-in.

Below is a summary of last week's currency and stock market information compiled by Odaily Planet Daily. All US stock data are from msx.com.

Overview of Main Factors Affecting Crypto Concept Stocks

Trump's Rejection of Hassett Leads to Significant "Shrinkage" in Fed Rate Cut Expectations

As Trump hinted at nominating someone other than National Economic Council Director Hassett to succeed Powell, US bond prices fell, and traders reduced their expectations for two US rate cuts in 2026. The decline in US Treasuries pushed the two-year yield up by 5 basis points to 3.61% at one point, hitting its highest level since the Fed's last rate cut in December. After Trump's comments on Hassett, short-term interest rate contracts reflected a decreased probability of the Fed implementing two 25-basis-point rate cuts this year. Meanwhile, the Treasury market continues to be troubled by the employment data released a week ago, which prompted Wall Street banks that had previously predicted a Fed rate cut at the next meeting on January 28 to abandon this view. Morgan inflation economists predict that the Fed will not cut rates further, despite the change in leadership. John Fath, Managing Partner of BTG Pactual Asset Management US, said: "The previous trade was betting that whoever becomes the next Fed chair would be dovish. This dynamic has reversed in the past few days."

Crypto Industry Divided on Market Structure Bill: a16z, Ripple, etc. Take Opposite Stance to Coinbase

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong had stated that he intends to withdraw support for the crypto market structure bill (CLARITY), saying "I'd rather have no bill than a bad bill." However, several major industry players hold the opposite view to Coinbase. Kraken CEO Arjun Sethi said legacy issues should be resolved through negotiation, not by abandoning years of bipartisan progress. a16z Managing Partner Chris Dixon, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, and White House Special Advisor for AI and Crypto David Sacks expressed similar views, urging all parties to resolve differences before the end of the month. Ledger Global Policy Head Seth Hertlein pointed out that it is hard to imagine a future environment as favorable as the current one. There is a widespread feeling in the industry that if legislation is not completed now, it will either not happen in the future or will happen under very unfavorable conditions. The crypto industry does not want software usability or content publishing permissions to change with each administration.

Additionally, the NYSE plans to open 7*24 tokenized stock trading and launch an on-chain settlement platform, which may impact crypto concept stocks to some extent. Related concept stocks may rise on this positive news. For details, recommended reading "NYSE Plans to Start 7*24 Hour Tokenized Stock Trading, 'Competitors' Are Stunned" and "NYSE Launches 7*24 Crypto-Stock Trading, Which Crypto Businesses Will Be Directly Benefited and Hurt?".

Weekly Updates on Listed Companies in Currency and Stock Markets

Representative BTC Treasury Listed Companies

Vanguard's US Mid-Cap Index Fund Makes First Purchase of Strategy Stock

Vanguard's US Mid-Cap Index Fund, Vanguard Group Mid-Cap Index Fund Institutional Shares (VMCIX), disclosed its first purchase of Strategy stock. It is reported that the fund bought 2.91 million shares, worth approximately $505 million.

Furthermore, Strategy announced that it will report its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2025 after the US financial market closes on Thursday, February 5, 2026, and will hold an online conference at 5:00 PM Eastern Time to discuss the performance. The company currently holds 687,410 bitcoins, with a持仓 (holding) market value of approximately $66.47 billion.

Strive Completes Acquisition of Semler Scientific and Becomes the 11th Largest Public Company by BTC Holdings

On January 16, Nasdaq-listed bitcoin financial services company Strive announced the formal completion of its acquisition of Semler Scientific. The merged company now holds a total of 12,797.9 bitcoins and has become the 11th largest public company globally by BTC holdings. The company also announced the appointment of Avik Roy as Chief Strategy Officer, while Semler Scientific's former chairman, Eric Semler, joined Strive as an independent director, and Bitcoin Strategy Director Joe Burnett became Strive's Vice President of Bitcoin Strategy.

Steak'n Shake Buys $10 Million in Bitcoin, Advancing Corporate BTC Treasury Strategy

US fast-food chain Steak ‘n Shake announced that this week it allocated $10 million to bitcoin, officially adding BTC to its corporate balance sheet. This move continues its crypto strategy of accepting bitcoin payments at all US stores over the past eight months.

The company stated that this decision is part of its so-called "self-reinforcing cycle": consumer payments with bitcoin drive sales growth, and related revenue is continuously invested into the company's Bitcoin Reserve (SBR), thereby providing funds for operational inputs such as ingredient upgrades and store renovations without raising menu prices.

Steak'n Shake has accepted bitcoin payments via the Lightning Network at all US stores since May 2025, aiming to reduce credit card fees and attract young crypto users. The company disclosed that same-store sales in the second quarter of 2025 increased by over 10% year-over-year. When customers choose to pay with bitcoin, payment processing fees can be saved by about 50%.

US Listed Company DDC Enterprise Completes Additional Purchase of 200 BTC, Total Holdings Increase to 1,383 BTC

On January 16, US listed company DDC Enterprise Limited announced the completion of its first bitcoin purchase in 2026, adding 200 BTC. After the transaction, DDC's total bitcoin holdings increased to 1,383 BTC.

The announcement showed that DDC's current average bitcoin holding is approximately $88,998, with a阶段性 (phase/period) bitcoin收益率 (return rate) of 16.9%. Every 1,000 shares of DDC stock correspond to approximately 0.046482 BTC. The company stated that this purchase continues its prudent, disciplined capital allocation strategy and regards bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset aligned with long-term value creation.

Representative ETH Treasury Listed Companies

BitMine Total Staking Exceeds 1.77 Million ETH, Total Value $5.65 Billion

According to OnchainLens monitoring, BitMine recently staked an additional 86,848 ETH, worth $279.4 million. Currently, its cumulative staking total has reached 1,771,936 ETH, with a total value of $5.65 billion. Last week, Bitmine purchased 24,068 ETH ($80.57 million) via FalconX.

On January 17, Ethereum treasury company Bitmine Chairman Tom Lee announced at a recent shareholders' meeting that the company is about to launch an APP, but no further details have been disclosed yet. However, based on shareholder reactions, they seem dissatisfied with this move and believe it is unnecessary to invest significant costs in an APP. Additionally, Tom Lee revealed that Bitmine no longer wishes to扮演 (play) the role of a单一 (single) Ethereum yield tool but is considering positioning itself as a Berkshire Hathaway-style holding company in the digital economy field. In this model, Ethereum would serve as the cash flow-providing base layer and capital allocation, driving the next stage of growth.

Furthermore, on January 15, Beast Industries announced the completion of a $200 million financing round, led by BitMine. This project's main business is media and consumer holdings, covering content production, consumer brand Feastables, MrBeast Burger, and commercial investments.

BitMine stated that it has agreed to invest $200 million in Beast Industries, a media and consumer holding company founded by YouTube creator MrBeast. BitMine currently holds over 4 million ETH, worth approximately $13 billion, making it the world's largest Ethereum treasury holder. Beast Industries CEO Jeff Housenbold said the funds will be used to support growth plans and explore the integration of decentralized finance functions into future financial service products. The transaction is expected to be completed around January 19.

Treasury Company FG Nexus, Holding $120 Million in ETH, Sells 2,500 ETH

On-chain analyst Yu Jian monitored that Ethereum treasury company FG Nexus (fg-nexus) sold 2,500 ETH on January 20, worth $8.04 million. FG Nexus储备 (reserved) 50,770 ETH at an average price of $3,944 during August to September last year, worth $200 million. As the ETH price fell, the company has so far减持 (reduced holdings) 13,475 ETH at a price of $3,089, realizing a loss of $11.52 million. Currently, FG Nexus still holds 37,594 ETH, worth $120 million. The company's mNAV is 0.84, meaning its stock market value is lower than the value of the ETH it holds.

Representative SOL Treasury Listed Companies

SOL Treasury Company Sharps Technology Reaches 90-Day Stock Lock-Up Agreement with SOL Markets

According to a Globenewswire report, Nasdaq-listed Solana treasury company Sharps Technology (STSS) announced that it has reached a 90-day stock lock-up agreement with SOL Markets. According to the agreement, SOL Markets agrees to restrict the sale of its advisor warrants and related shares for 90 days. The agreement is effective from January 16, 2026. Previously, Sharps Technology's board approved a stock repurchase plan of up to $100 million. It is currently developing a universal digital identity and authentication framework through strategic partnerships with Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Jupiter.

Forward Industries: SOL Holdings Increase to Nearly 6.98 Million, Staking Rewards Reach 133,450 SOL

Nasdaq-listed Solana treasury company Forward Industries公布 (published) its financial performance report, disclosing that as of January 15, the company holds a total of 6,979,967.46 SOL. Since establishing the Solana treasury, it has staked almost all SOL and received 133,450 SOL in staking rewards. Additionally, Forward Industries disclosed that its SEC-registered stock was launched on the Solana blockchain last December via the Opening Bell platform under Superstate.

Solana Treasury Company Upexi Reaches Securities Purchase Agreement Aiming to Raise $36 Million

Last week, Nasdaq-listed Solana treasury company Upexi announced that it has reached a securities purchase agreement with Hivemind Capital Partners aiming to raise $36 million. The note issuance is expected to be completed around January 14, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. The notes are backed by locked SOL tokens and will be incorporated into the company's Solana treasury after the transaction is completed. The transaction is expected to increase Upexi's SOL holdings by 12%, to over 2.4 million SOL, making it the second-largest corporate SOL holder after Forward Industries, which holds 6.9 million SOL.

Representative Altcoin Treasury Listed Companies

TON Treasury Company AlphaTON Capital Raises $15 Million Through Registered Offering of Common Stock

On January 16, Nasdaq-listed TON treasury company AlphaTON Capital announced that it raised $15 million through a registered offering of common stock, issuing a total of 15,000,000 shares of common stock at a price of $1 per share. HC Wainwright & Co. acted as the exclusive placement agent for this offering. The company stated that it plans to use the net proceeds from this offering to expand the GPU deployment scale of Cocoon AI, supplement working capital, and for general corporate purposes.

Trending Cryptos

Related Questions

QWhat was the significant investment made by Vanguard's Mid-Cap Index Fund in Strategy, and what was its value?

AVanguard's Mid-Cap Index Fund (VMCIX) made its first purchase of Strategy stock, buying 2.91 million shares valued at approximately $505 million.

QWhat is the total amount of ETH staked by BitMine and what is its total value in USD?

ABitMine has staked a total of 1,771,936 ETH, with a total value of $5.65 billion.

QWhich company became the 11th largest public company by BTC holdings after completing an acquisition?

AStrive became the 11th largest public company by BTC holdings after it completed its acquisition of Semler Scientific.

QWhat major reason caused traders to reduce their expectations for U.S. interest rate cuts in 2026?

ATraders reduced their expectations for two U.S. rate cuts in 2026 after former President Trump hinted he would nominate someone other than Kevin Hassett to replace Jerome Powell as Fed Chair.

QWhat controversial stance did Coinbase take regarding the CLARITY Crypto Bill, and how did other industry players like a16z and Ripple respond?

ACoinbase CEO Brian Armstrong stated he would withdraw support for the CLARITY Bill, preferring no bill to a bad one. In contrast, other industry players like a16z, Ripple, and Kraken urged continued negotiation to resolve differences and pass the bill.

Related Reads

The Changing Landscape: What Are Crypto VCs Experiencing?

Title: The Shifting Landscape of Crypto Venture Capital The era of dedicated crypto venture capital funds is undergoing a significant transformation. Once essential for navigating the sector's complexity and high risk, these specialized funds are now facing an identity crisis as the market matures. This shift mirrors historical patterns in other specialized investment classes like cleantech and SPACs, where initial information advantages dissipate as technologies become mainstream and integrated into existing industry frameworks. The article argues that crypto is reaching a critical inflection point, transitioning from a "building phase" to an "integration phase." Major players like Stripe, BlackRock, and Visa now engage with crypto not for its novel mechanics but as a foundational financial infrastructure. Their needs—regulatory compliance, banking partnerships, distribution channels—align with traditional fintech, a domain easily understood by large, generalist funds like Sequoia and Founders Fund. This evolution creates a "barbell effect" within the VC landscape. On one end are massive, diversified platforms that can incorporate crypto as one vertical among many. On the other are small, nimble funds focused on niche, experimental projects. The middle ground—medium-sized dedicated crypto funds—is being squeezed out. Their typical fund size makes it impossible to generate sufficient returns solely from early-stage crypto bets, yet they cannot compete with giants for later-stage deals. Consequently, leading crypto-native firms like Paradigm and Framework Ventures are expanding into AI, robotics, and other sectors, driven partly by LP pressure for better returns amid a broader VC DPI crisis. Others, like Dragonfly and a16z, have narrowed their crypto focus predominantly to financial infrastructure like stablecoins, reframing the sector's core narrative. For crypto entrepreneurs, this consolidation presents challenges. While generalist funds offer larger checks and broader resources, crypto projects now compete fiercely with AI for attention and capital within these firms. Furthermore, the long-term, non-commercial foundational work that built the ecosystem—funded by dedicated crypto VCs—is less likely to attract generalist capital focused on direct returns. The conclusion is that "crypto investor" as a standalone category is becoming obsolete, akin to "internet investor." Crypto is becoming a baseline infrastructure layer. The future will see a barbell structure: large-scale growth financing handled by generalist funds, while pioneering, speculative projects are funded by small, specialized vehicles. The dedicated crypto funds of the 2017-2021 boom, which incubated core infrastructure, are giving way to this new, bifurcated reality.

Foresight News15m ago

The Changing Landscape: What Are Crypto VCs Experiencing?

Foresight News15m ago

As Consensus Accelerates, What Are Young Investors Betting On?

Title: As Consensus Forms Faster, What Are Young Investors Betting On? In the rapid evolution of tech investment, a new generation of young investors is navigating a landscape where AI, robotics, commercial aerospace, and quantum computing are advancing simultaneously. Traditional investment logic based on financial models is giving way to a need for deep technical understanding and the ability to act before industry consensus forms. An analysis of trends from the "WAIC FUTURE TECH" list of young investment leaders reveals key shifts in focus. The first major trend is the movement of AI from the digital screen into the physical world. Investment is shifting from large language models and chatbots towards embodied AI, robotics, AI hardware, and edge computing. While demonstrations generate excitement, the real challenge lies in achieving scalable, reliable, and cost-effective delivery in complex real-world environments like factories and logistics. Success depends not just on algorithms but on the integration of sensors, actuators, and control systems. Second, the competitive focus for large models is moving beyond raw capability toward building an "intelligence flywheel." The goal is to create self-reinforcing systems where user interaction generates data, improving the model, which in turn enhances the user experience and attracts more engagement. Companies that successfully embed AI into workflows to create these closed-loop systems can build lasting value that isn't easily erased by the next model upgrade. Third, facing a potential bottleneck in high-quality human-generated data, investors are looking at new underlying technologies. Reinforcement learning and self-play, as demonstrated by AlphaGo Zero, offer paths for AI to generate its own experience. Scientific foundation models, which aim to build general AI capabilities for fields like life sciences and materials discovery, represent a non-consensus direction that could unlock new frontiers of knowledge and data. Finally, in deep-tech areas like quantum computing, commercial aerospace, and space-based infrastructure, patient capital is essential. These fields have long, uncertain development and validation cycles involving complex engineering, supply chains, and regulations. Investment here requires a long-term view, focusing on foundational team capabilities and the eventual emergence of market demand, even if commercial returns are distant. Collectively, these trends illustrate how young investors are adapting to a new era. They are learning to make earlier, technically-informed judgments, balance hype with real-world viability, and provide the patient capital needed to build the deep-tech foundations of the future.

marsbit43m ago

As Consensus Accelerates, What Are Young Investors Betting On?

marsbit43m ago

Can Japan Buy Growth with AI? Will the Bond Market Believe It?

Japan's cabinet has introduced the 2026 Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform, shifting its primary fiscal target. The new framework moves away from the traditional annual primary balance goal and instead prioritizes a stable reduction of the debt-to-GDP ratio. This change is tied to a strategy of increased "responsible proactive fiscal" spending, aiming to boost long-term growth through investments in strategic sectors like AI, semiconductors, energy, and robotics. The government estimates total public and private investment in 62 key technologies could exceed 370 trillion yen by 2040. The market reaction has been mixed and cautious. While equity markets may respond to policy signals, bond markets are focused on fiscal credibility. Concerns center on whether the weakening of the clear primary balance anchor could lead to looser fiscal discipline. If investors doubt that these strategic investments will generate sufficient productivity gains, tax revenue, and nominal growth to outpace rising interest costs, they may demand higher yields on Japanese Government Bonds (JGBs). Recent volatility in the yen and JGB yields, with the 10-year yield briefly reaching 2.9%, reflects this skepticism. The success of this new framework hinges on two factors: whether Japan can achieve a nominal growth rate consistently higher than its long-term interest rates, and whether future budgets demonstrate disciplined control over bond issuance. The government's narrative is that strategic investment is essential to break Japan's cycle of low growth, aging, and labor shortages. However, the bond market will continuously assess the credibility of this plan, pricing the risk that it may represent fiscal expansion rather than a viable growth strategy.

marsbit1h ago

Can Japan Buy Growth with AI? Will the Bond Market Believe It?

marsbit1h ago

Trading

Spot

Hot Articles

Discussions

Welcome to the HTX Community. Here, you can stay informed about the latest platform developments and gain access to professional market insights. Users' opinions on the price of ETH (ETH) are presented below.

活动图片