Yazılar

Bitcoin Hits Record High Amid Fed Easing Bets and U.S. Crypto Reforms

Bitcoin reached a fresh all-time high on Thursday, climbing as much as 0.9% to $124,002.49 in early Asia trading, surpassing its previous peak from July. Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency, also hit $4,780.04, its highest level since late 2021.

The rally is being fueled by growing expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts, sustained institutional buying, and recent U.S. regulatory reforms under President Donald Trump. “Technically, a sustained break above $125k could propel BTC to $150,000,” noted IG market analyst Tony Sycamore.

Bitcoin has surged nearly 32% so far in 2025, supported by long-awaited regulatory wins, including stablecoin legislation and efforts by U.S. securities regulators to accommodate cryptocurrencies. Trump, who has branded himself the “crypto president,” has also promoted the inclusion of crypto assets in 401(k) retirement accounts through a recent executive order.

The executive order could boost asset managers such as BlackRock and Fidelity, which offer crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs), although crypto’s higher volatility compared with traditional stocks and bonds presents risks for retirement savings.

The broader crypto market has also benefited, with total market capitalization rising to over $4.18 trillion, up from roughly $2.5 trillion in November 2024, following Trump’s election. The sector has shrugged off broader economic uncertainties, including the potential impact of tariffs, as enthusiasm grows for mainstream adoption.

Nvidia briefly hits $4 trillion market value, cementing AI leadership

Nvidia (NVDA.O) briefly reached a market capitalization of $4 trillion on Wednesday, becoming the first company ever to hit this milestone and reaffirming its dominance in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. Shares surged as much as 2.8% to an all-time high of $164.42 before closing up 1.8%, giving Nvidia a market value of approximately $3.97 trillion.

This milestone reflects Wall Street’s strong confidence in Nvidia’s leading role in powering AI innovation, with its high-performance chips crucial to advancements in the technology. Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth, remarked that the rally “highlights the fact that companies are shifting their asset spend in the direction of AI,” which he sees as the future of technology.

Nvidia’s stock has seen a remarkable recovery after a slow start in 2025, which was rattled by competition from Chinese AI models like DeepSeek. The company reached a $1 trillion valuation in June 2023 and has since nearly quadrupled in value within about a year—outpacing other tech giants like Apple and Microsoft, the only other U.S. firms with market caps above $3 trillion.

Microsoft, the second most valuable U.S. company, closed Wednesday at $503.51 per share with a $3.74 trillion market cap. Nvidia’s rally has lifted it by approximately 74% from its April lows, coinciding with renewed optimism about U.S. trade relations.

Currently, Nvidia represents 7.3% of the S&P 500 index, slightly more than Apple’s 7% and Microsoft’s 6%. Its valuation now surpasses the combined stock market value of Canada and Mexico, as well as all publicly listed companies in the UK.

Despite its high valuation, Nvidia’s 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio stands at 32, below its three-year average of 37.

While Nvidia’s GPUs dominate AI workloads, rivals such as Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and others are seeking to chip away at its market share by offering more affordable alternatives. Meanwhile, major customers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet face investor pressure to moderate their AI spending.

Nvidia posted $44.1 billion in revenue for the first quarter of 2025, a 69% increase year-on-year. For the second quarter, the company projects revenue around $45 billion, plus or minus 2%, with earnings due on August 27.

Year-to-date, Nvidia’s stock is up about 22%, outperforming the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index’s roughly 15% gain.

Nvidia Becomes First Public Company to Reach $4 Trillion Market Value Amid AI Boom

Nvidia achieved a historic milestone on Wednesday by becoming the first public company ever to reach a market capitalization of $4 trillion. The leading chipmaker’s shares rose 1.63% to $162.61, touching an all-time high of $164 during the day. The surge reflects strong investor confidence fueled by booming demand for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, where Nvidia plays a critical role.

Industry experts weighed in on Nvidia’s dominance and the challenges ahead:

  • Michael Ashley Schulman, CIO at Running Point Capital, highlighted potential competition risks from tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta designing their own chips. He also noted quantum computing could become a future disruptor, possibly within 5 to 7 years.

  • Dan Morgan, Senior Portfolio Manager at Synovus Trust, pointed out that AI capital expenditure by top hyperscalers (Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet) is expected to jump to over $330 billion in 2025, up from $240 billion in 2024. Morgan flagged investor concerns about a possible slowdown in Nvidia sales as customers transition to new Blackwell chips.

  • Gil Luria, Analyst at D.A. Davidson, said Nvidia will remain a key AI hardware provider despite likely losing some market dominance. He noted the company’s valuation is high but supported by strong investment visibility.

  • Chuck Carlson, CEO of Horizon Investment Services, described Nvidia as the “golden child” of AI investment, emphasizing its leadership and growth in accelerated computing and generative AI.

  • Art Hogan, Chief Market Strategist at B Riley Wealth, praised Nvidia’s transformation from a gaming chipmaker to a crypto mining and now AI powerhouse, calling its recent growth “amazing.”

  • Robert Pavlik, Senior Portfolio Manager at Dakota Wealth, called Nvidia the backbone of AI infrastructure and predicted further stock upside as companies increasingly focus investments on AI.

Nvidia’s market cap milestone underscores its central role in powering AI advancements and signals investor appetite for exposure to this transformative technology sector.