New York, Jan 25, 2026, 06:01 (EST) — Market closed.
- IREN Limited shares jumped roughly 8.5% on Friday, finishing at $56.68.
- Bitcoin lingered around $88,500 over the weekend, keeping crypto-linked stocks under the spotlight.
- IREN plans to release its results on Feb. 5, with investors eager for updates on its AI cloud expansion.
IREN Limited shares surged roughly 8.5% on Friday, closing at $56.68 after hitting a session range from $50.14 to $58.55. Trading volume reached around 56.6 million shares, marking a brisk pace for a stock known to react sharply once momentum kicks in.
U.S. markets were closed Sunday, pushing focus to Monday’s open. For IREN, it’s less about one big announcement next week and more a test of whether investors rally around a stock straddling crypto and data-centre growth.
Bitcoin hovered near $88,500 on Sunday, slipping about 1% for the day, a dip that often weighs on mining stocks. According to CoinWarz, bitcoin mining difficulty—the metric that gauges how tough it is to mine a new block—stands around 141.7 trillion. The next difficulty adjustment is expected on Feb. 8, with a possible drop if block times remain slow. 1
IREN announced it will report results for the quarter ending Dec. 31 on Feb. 5, followed by a conference call at 5 p.m. Eastern. The company describes itself as an AI cloud service provider, operating large GPU clusters out of data centres in the U.S. and Canada. 2
The broader tape gave a boost. TeraWulf jumped roughly 9.5% on Friday, Core Scientific climbed close to 4%, and Marathon Digital edged up about 2%. This shows the group still moves together when risk appetite kicks in.
Mining difficulty has turned into a fast gauge of the economic climate for miners. “In my opinion this is quite bullish for miners that are staying online,” said Nick Hansen, CEO of Luxor’s mining pool, speaking to DL News. Canaan’s Leo Wang added that the mining and AI sectors “are not in a zero-sum competition for power.” 3
IREN has doubled down on that shift. In its latest quarterly update, the company revealed a $9.7 billion AI cloud deal with Microsoft, set to roll out in stages through 2026. It said this partnership “solidifies IREN’s position” among hyperscale clients. 4
That trade can cut both ways. Should bitcoin drop further or if the upcoming difficulty cycle rises more than anticipated, mining margins could shrink fast, sending the stock tumbling back just as quickly as it climbed.
Execution risk looms on the AI front. Investors have already bid up prices for data-centre capacity and GPU supply that’s still under construction sector-wide. Any hiccup or unexpected capex could quickly shift those expectations.
The next major event is Feb. 5, when IREN will report its latest quarterly results and field questions. Investors will focus on details around AI-cloud capacity, customer rollout schedules, and the share of IREN’s power dedicated to mining ahead of the upcoming difficulty adjustment. 5
