New York, Jan 16, 2026, 11:26 EST — Regular session
- IREN shares jump roughly 9% in late-morning trading; bitcoin dips
- Crypto mining stocks climbed broadly, with Riot Platforms leading the pack
- Attention shifts to AI data-center leasing and IREN’s upcoming earnings report in February
IREN Limited shares jumped 8.6% to $56.35 in late-morning trading on Friday, bouncing between $51.94 and $56.73 earlier. Bitcoin fell 1.7% to roughly $94,897, yet some U.S.-listed crypto miners like Riot Platforms, Marathon Digital, and CleanSpark posted gains.
This shift is significant as miners are now being valued more for their data-center power and AI infrastructure capabilities than merely bitcoin prices. Traders have eagerly jumped on stocks that highlight “AI and high-performance computing” capacity, especially appealing to big tech firms facing tight power and space constraints.
Riot, a key player in the sector, announced a data center lease and services agreement with Advanced Micro Devices, covering an initial 25 megawatts of “critical IT load”—a capacity metric for computing equipment. The 10-year contract could bring in around $311 million, with options to extend and expand. AMD’s CIO Hasmukh Ranjan emphasized the need for partners that “can match our pace and scale.” 1
IREN has been aiming to align itself similarly. Last November, Microsoft inked a $9.7 billion, five-year cloud contract with IREN, Reuters reported, which includes access to Nvidia’s cutting-edge chips. The rollout is scheduled in phases through 2026 at IREN’s Childress, Texas campus. Reuters also noted the deal could be canceled if IREN misses delivery deadlines. 2
H.C. Wainwright’s Mike Colonnese recently made waves with what TipRanks called a double upgrade on IREN, moving his rating straight from Sell to Buy and boosting his price target to $80. Colonnese highlighted “the stage is set for a transformative year,” citing the anticipated AI spending by hyperscalers and IREN’s secured capacity, according to the TipRanks report. 3
Investors have been digging into the company’s filings. On Jan. 2, IREN filed a registration statement to register 17.5 million ordinary shares, earmarked for potential issuance under its 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan. The company said shareholders gave the green light at the Nov. 19 annual meeting. The filing clarifies that registering the shares “does not constitute a current issuance” of those shares.
Yet the pivot story isn’t without hazards. Data-center expansions hinge on power availability, equipment deliveries, and construction timelines, with contracts often tied to hitting specific milestones. These stocks stay volatile, and bitcoin swings can quickly overshadow the AI-driven momentum.
IREN’s next big event is its upcoming quarterly earnings report. According to TipRanks, the fiscal second-quarter results are expected after the close on Feb. 18. That date could shift, though, as companies often update their schedules. 4
For now, traders are focused on two key factors: whether the sector’s AI-leasing news continues to drive miners upward, and if IREN provides updates on new AI cloud contracts or progress in deployment.
