NEW YORK, January 4, 2026, 05:28 ET — Market closed
Shares of bitcoin miner MARA Holdings (MARA) closed up 10.4% at $9.91 on Friday, tracking a rebound in crypto-linked stocks on the first trading day of 2026.
The move matters because MARA trades as a leveraged proxy for bitcoin. Miners’ revenue is tied to the value of the coins they earn, so the stocks often move more sharply than the token itself.
Traders head into the new week focused on U.S. economic releases, capped by Friday’s payrolls report, for clues on interest-rate expectations. “It’s a time to actually do a lot of assessment… there’s no consensus,” said Juan Perez, director of trading at Monex USA. Reuters
Bitcoin was trading around $91,450 early Sunday, up about 2% from its prior close, according to market data.
Other U.S.-listed bitcoin miners moved in lockstep on Friday, with Riot Platforms up about 12% to $14.16 and CleanSpark gaining roughly 14% to $11.55.
The crypto-linked rally came as U.S. stocks ended the day mixed, with the S&P 500 and Dow higher and the Nasdaq slipping, a Reuters report showed.
A recent SEC filing also stayed on radar. A Dec. 30 registration statement said MARA registered an additional 33 million shares for issuance under its employee equity plan.
The Form S-8 is used to register shares for employee compensation and does not mean those shares hit the market immediately. Investors still watch such filings as a potential source of dilution over time.
Beyond bitcoin’s spot price, miners’ profitability can swing with the network’s “difficulty” and hashrate — the computing power competing to earn new coins. Higher competition can squeeze margins if coin prices fail to keep pace.
Before next session, traders will be watching whether bitcoin holds above the $90,000 mark into Monday’s open. The token trades 24/7, but miner shares won’t reflect weekend moves until U.S. markets reopen.
Macro sensitivity is another moving part. Strong data can lift Treasury yields and the dollar, often pressuring risk assets, while softer readings can revive rate-cut bets.
On the company calendar, Nasdaq estimates MARA’s next earnings report for Feb. 25, though the company has not announced a date. Investors typically focus on bitcoin production, electricity costs and any shifts in expansion plans.
