NEW YORK, Jan 5, 2026, 14:26 EST — Regular session
- IREN shares rose about 11% in afternoon trading as bitcoin climbed more than 3%.
- Crypto-linked stocks broadly firmed, with several U.S.-listed miners also higher.
- Investors are weighing the company’s AI data center buildout against bitcoin volatility and upcoming macro data.
IREN Limited shares climbed about 11% on Monday afternoon, outpacing the broader market as bitcoin pushed higher and traders returned to crypto-linked equities. The stock was last up at $47.36.
The move matters because IREN still trades as a high-beta proxy for bitcoin prices, even as it markets itself as an AI infrastructure supplier with large power-backed data center sites. That mix can amplify swings when risk appetite shifts. 1
Broader U.S. equities were also firmer, and “we’re seeing a risk on mood,” Steve Sosnick, chief market analyst at Interactive Brokers, said in a Reuters report. That tone has helped lift crypto-related shares alongside bitcoin’s advance. 2
Bitcoin was up about 3.5% at roughly $94,302, while several listed miners moved in the same direction: Cipher Mining was up about 12%, Marathon Digital about 6%, Riot Platforms about 4% and CleanSpark about 6%. Coinbase rose about 9%.
A fresh Zacks Investment Research note published Monday said IREN’s expanding GPU footprint is improving “revenue visibility,” pointing to the company’s plan to scale its GPU fleet from about 23,000 to 140,000 by the end of 2026. It also highlighted IREN’s “vertically integrated” approach — owning power, data centers and GPU infrastructure — as an advantage in speeding deployments. 3
In that note, Zacks pegged IREN’s longer-term target at $3.4 billion in AI Cloud annualized run-rate revenue, using what it described as only about 16% of IREN’s secured power portfolio. Zacks also flagged Applied Digital and CoreWeave as notable rivals in GPU-focused data centers as hyperscalers hunt for capacity. 3
IREN’s AI narrative accelerated after Microsoft signed a $9.7 billion, five-year contract in November to secure access to Nvidia’s advanced chips via IREN’s infrastructure. Reuters reported the agreement could be terminated if IREN fails to meet delivery schedules, an execution detail investors have kept on a short leash. 4
But the trade cuts both ways. A pullback in bitcoin can quickly pressure miners’ cash-flow expectations, while IREN’s AI buildout depends on hardware availability, construction timelines and customer ramp-up; Zacks also described the shares as “overvalued” on its metrics, underscoring how much good news is already in the price. 3
Near-term, traders will keep one eye on bitcoin and another on U.S. macro data that can whipsaw risk assets, including Friday’s Employment Situation report (Dec. 2025 data) and next week’s Consumer Price Index release. The Fed’s next policy meeting is scheduled for Jan. 27-28. 5
For the company-specific calendar, investors are looking to IREN’s next quarterly results for an updated read on GPU deployment pace and AI contract conversion; earnings calendars tracked by Zacks currently point to around Feb. 11. 6
