Hey there, PoI readers! 💫

It's your favorite crypto connoisseur, Mochi, back with another serving of tantalizing tech and web3 news that's hotter than a freshly minted NFT. Today's edition is absolutely spicy – we've got Strategy drowning in a $12.4B loss while insisting everything's fine, BlackRock's ETF going absolutely nuclear with panic trading, Tether hedging their bets with gold (because apparently shiny rocks never go out of style), and Gemini rage-quitting three entire continents. Buckle up, buttercups – this market is serving chaos with a side of existential crisis!

INTEL BRIEF

🟧 Strategy reports a massive $12.4B Q4 loss as Bitcoin crashes 22%, but execs insist they're totally fine (and definitely not sweating).

🟧 BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF smashes volume records with $10B in trades as panicked investors scramble during Bitcoin's epic 12% nosedive.

🟧 Tether drops $150M on Gold.com stake, proving that when crypto gets spicy, sometimes you just want to hold something shiny and historically stable.

🟧 Gemini rage-quits UK, EU, and Australia while firing 25% of staff, betting big on prediction markets because apparently guessing the future is easier than global expansion.

Strategy loses $12.4B in Q4 but insists their Bitcoin fortress is stronger than ever

Strategy just posted a jaw-dropping $12.4 billion loss in Q4 2025, and honestly, that's the kind of number that makes your accountant weep into their spreadsheets.

Here's the tea: Bitcoin decided to go on a wild rollercoaster ride this quarter, peaking at a spicy $126,000 in early October before faceplanting to under $88,500 by December 31. That's a 22% tumble that would make even the most hardened crypto bros reach for their comfort memes. And it gets better (or worse, depending on your portfolio) — Bitcoin is now sitting at $64,500, which is awkwardly below Strategy's average buy-in price of $76,052. Ouch.

Despite looking like they bought Bitcoin at a Target checkout line instead of waiting for the sale, Strategy's stock got absolutely rekt, dropping 17% to $107 on Thursday. The company is now sitting on 713,502 Bitcoin and is currently down 17.5% on those holdings. That's a lot of digital coins gathering digital dust.

But wait! Before you start playing sad violin music, CFO Andrew Kang wants everyone to know their "capital structure" is apparently "stronger and more resilient than ever." They've built what they're calling a "digital fortress" (because apparently medieval castle metaphors make losses sound better?) and boosted cash holdings to $2.25 billion — enough to cover 30 months of dividend payouts.

CEO Phong Le basically told everyone to chill out, insisting "we're not worried" about their Bitcoin strategy. With no major debt until 2027 and only 13% net leverage, they're speculated to be in better shape than most S&P 500 companies. So... panic over? Maybe?

Strategy posted a $12.4B loss in Q4 as Bitcoin crashed 22%, now trading below their average purchase price

Company holds 713,502 Bitcoin and is down 17.5% on holdings, but has $2.25B cash and no debt due until 2027

Execs insist the "digital fortress" is solid despite shares dropping 17% — they're "not worried" (allegedly)

BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF hits $10B trading record as investors scramble during the crash

BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) just had the kind of day that makes traders question their life choices, recording an all-time high daily trading volume of $10 billion as Bitcoin decided to speedrun a financial crisis.

Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas dropped the news that IBIT absolutely "crushed its daily volume record" on Thursday — and by "crushed," we mean people were trading this thing like it was Black Friday and Bitcoin was the last TV on the shelf. The ETF itself got bodied, dropping 13% in a single day, marking its second-worst price drop since launching. For context, the worst was a 15% faceplant back on May 8, 2024. Good times.

Here's where it gets spicy: On Wednesday alone, IBIT saw $373.4 million in net outflows (that's a lot of people saying "nope, I'm out"). The ETF has only managed 10 days of net inflows so far in 2026, which is... not great, Bob. It's been bleeding money since the crypto market decided to cosplay as the Titanic in early October.

Bitcoin itself? Down 12% in 24 hours to $64,000 after briefly kissing $60,300 (yikes). That's a 50% drop from its glorious $126,000 peak in early October. IBIT followed suit, tumbling from nearly $70 to $36.10 — a painful 48% decline that has investment chief Bob Elliott noting that the average IBIT investor is now underwater. Translation: most people are losing money. Double yikes.

The crash is reportedly being fueled by weak US job market data and growing anxiety over AI sector spending. Veteran trader Peter Brandt believes the carnage might not be over, warning of "fingerprints of campaign selling" with basically no buyers stepping up to catch the falling knife.

So grab your popcorn — this Bitcoin rollercoaster isn't stopping anytime soon.

BlackRock's IBIT ETF hit $10B in daily trading volume (a record) as Bitcoin crashed 12% to $64,000

IBIT dropped 13% in one day with $373.4M in outflows Wednesday; only 10 days of inflows in 2026 so far

Average IBIT investor is now underwater as Bitcoin sits 50% below its October peak of $126,000

Tether invests $150M into Gold.com proving that sometimes you just need actual gold

Tether just yeeted $150 million into precious metals platform Gold.com, snagging approximately a 12% stake in the company. Because nothing says "I believe in the future of digital currency" quite like... buying a bunch of gold. 🪙

Here's the deal: Tether is integrating its gold-backed crypto Tether Gold (XAUt) into Gold.com's platform, which sells gold, silver, and platinum to markets including the US. CEO Paolo Ardoino dropped some serious wisdom bombs, explaining that gold has been preserving value for centuries during "monetary stress and geopolitical uncertainty" (aka right now, allegedly).

Ardoino made it clear this isn't just some quick flip — it's a long-term hedge to protect Tether's user base "in a world that is becoming increasingly unstable." Sir, are you okay? Do you need to talk about it? He added that the investment reflects a belief that gold should be as accessible as digital money without losing that sweet, sweet physical backing.

But wait, there's more! Tether and Gold.com are reportedly exploring ways to let customers buy physical gold using USDt (Tether's flagship stablecoin) and their shiny new USAt stablecoin that launched with crypto bank Anchorage Digital on January 27. Imagine buying gold bars with internet money — we truly live in the future.

This gold play makes sense when you consider that gold absolutely mooned 80% over the past year, hitting $5,600 on January 29 before chilling at $4,800. Meanwhile, Tether is swimming in cash after posting a $10 billion profit in 2025, mostly from interest on the $185.6 billion in US Treasuries backing USDt.

Oh, and they also dropped $100 million into Anchorage earlier the same day to boost USAt adoption before the bank's IPO next year. Tether out here spending like it's payday at the money printer.

Tether invested $150M for a 12% stake in Gold.com, integrating its Tether Gold (XAUt) into the platform

Partnership explores letting customers buy physical gold with USDt and USAt stablecoins as a hedge against instability

Gold rallied 80% to $5,600 over 12 months; Tether posted $10B profit in 2025 from Treasury interest on its $185.6B reserve

Gemini says goodbye to three continents and 25% of staff to focus on prediction markets

Gemini just announced it's peacing out of the United Kingdom, European Union, and Australia while simultaneously slashing 25% of its workforce. Ouch. That's the kind of Thursday announcement that makes HR departments sweat.

Founded back in 2015, the US-based exchange says it's had enough of the organizational complexity and cost headaches that come with operating in these markets. Their official explanation? These regions are "hard to win in for various reasons" and they're stretched too thin with costs going up and growth slowing down. Translation: "We're not making enough money there to deal with this headache."

But here's the kicker — Gemini is blaming artificial intelligence for part of the workforce reduction, claiming AI is making engineers "100x more efficient" and basically automating jobs left and right. So yeah, the robots are coming for everyone's paychecks, allegedly. The company dropped the classic line: "America has the world's greatest capital markets," so they're doubling down on the good ol' US of A instead.

The timing is... interesting. The crypto industry is currently getting absolutely pummeled with prices bleeding since the flash crash in October and the CLARITY Act (a much-hyped US crypto bill) stalling harder than your ex's apology text.

So what's Gemini's big plan? Prediction markets, baby! They're going all-in on Gemini Predictions, which launched in December 2025, believing prediction markets will be "as big or bigger than today's capital markets." Bold claim, but they've already racked up 10,000+ users and $24 million in trading volume since launch.

The prediction market space is absolutely cooking right now. Trading volume exploded 565.4% quarter-over-quarter during the 2024 US presidential election, hitting $3.1 billion. In January 2026, daily volume ranged from $277M to $550M, with Polymarket dominating 37% and Kalshi grabbing 26% of the market.

Gemini's betting their future on people betting on the future. Meta.

Gemini exits UK, EU, and Australia while cutting 25% of workforce, blaming AI efficiency and lack of demand in those regions

Company pivots to focus on US markets and its Gemini Predictions platform, launched December 2025

Prediction markets saw 565.4% volume spike to $3.1B in Q3 2024; Gemini has 10,000+ users and $24M volume so far

And that's a wrap, my lovely PoI readers! I hope this edition left you feeling informed, entertained, and maybe slightly concerned about your portfolio (kidding... mostly). From Bitcoin's spectacular faceplant to prediction markets becoming the new hotness, it's clear that crypto never sleeps – and neither does the drama.

Remember to stay curious, stay informed, and for the love of Satoshi, maybe don't put all your eggs in one digital basket. Until next time, this is Mochi, signing off with a virtual high-five and a reminder that sometimes the best investment is a good sense of humor!

P.S. Don't forget to share your thoughts, questions, and favorite crypto puns with us. very voice matters in the PoI community! 📣❤️ Share the newsletter

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