**Crypto Prices Drop as AI and Gold Make Big Moves**

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies took a hit on Monday, falling sharply as a wave of liquidations swept through the market. In contrast, AI-focused companies like Iren and Bitdeer saw positive momentum. At the same time, gold and silver prices surged to new highs, signaling a shift in investor sentiment.

**Iren Doubles Down on AI Cloud Power**

Bitcoin mining company Iren (IREN) jumped over 10% before the market opened on Monday. The rally came after the company announced it had doubled its AI cloud computing capacity by adding 12,400 new GPUs. With this move, Iren now operates 23,000 GPUs in total.

The company invested around $674 million to purchase top-tier chips, including 7,100 Nvidia B300s, 4,200 Nvidia B200s, and 1,100 AMD MI350X GPUs. These additions are expected to be delivered in the coming months.

With this expanded tech power, Iren is aiming to hit more than $500 million in annual AI cloud revenue by the first quarter of 2026. The company also noted that demand for AI computing is outpacing supply worldwide, and many customers are eager to reserve capacity in advance.

Iren stock has been on a tear in 2025, already up more than 293% through last Friday.

**Bitdeer Eyes Growth Through AI and HPC Expansion**

Bitdeer Technologies (BTDR) received a boost on Monday after Roth Capital raised its price target from $18 to $40. Analysts believe Bitdeer is preparing to expand into high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence services.

The company is reportedly discussing partnerships that could involve joint ventures or equity deals. Bitdeer would provide land and energy resources, while its partners would help with funding. Roth Capital expects this new direction to become a key part of Bitdeer’s story in the next 6–9 months.

Despite a rough year so far with a 24% drop in 2025, Bitdeer shares rose 1.4% early Monday following the news.

**Crypto Market Sees $1.7 Billion in Liquidations**

The crypto market saw a massive sell-off over the weekend, with nearly $1.7 billion in leveraged positions liquidated, according to Coinglass data. Most of these were long positions—bets that prices would go up.

Bitcoin alone saw $287.5 million in liquidations, while Ethereum lost about $502 million. As a result, Bitcoin dropped 2.7% to below $112,700, and Ethereum plunged 7.2%, falling under $4,200.

This decline followed a short-lived rally last week when the Federal Reserve cut interest rates, briefly boosting crypto prices.

**Gold Hits Record Highs as Investors Look for Safe Havens**

While crypto struggled, precious metals soared. Gold futures climbed more than 1% on Monday to hit a record high of $3,757 per ounce. That brings gold’s gains for 2025 to nearly 43%.

Silver also surged 1.9% to $43.78 per ounce, its highest price since August 2011. Silver is now up about 51% this year and approaching historical highs last seen in January 1980.

According to Deutsche Bank, gold’s rise is being fueled by global uncertainty, central bank buying, expectations of further Fed rate cuts, and concerns about the Fed’s independence. These factors are reinforcing gold’s reputation as a safe-haven asset and key reserve option.

**Bitcoin Still Seen as Long-Term Hedge**

Despite recent price drops, analysts remain optimistic about Bitcoin’s long-term prospects. Deutsche Bank noted that Bitcoin has shown “remarkable resilience” this year thanks to increasing institutional interest and its growing role as a macroeconomic hedge.

The bank predicts Bitcoin could rebound above $120,000 by the end of the year. Looking further ahead, Deutsche Bank believes both gold and Bitcoin could become core reserve assets for central banks by 2030—though they’re unlikely to replace the U.S. dollar as the main global currency.

**Key Takeaways:**
– Iren doubles AI cloud power with major GPU purchases
– Bitdeer gets analyst upgrade amid plans for HPC and AI expansion
– Crypto market sees $1.7B in liquidations; Bitcoin and Ethereum drop
– Gold hits record high; silver at 14-year peak
– Bitcoin expected to recover and play larger role in global finance

Investors are watching closely as AI continues to drive tech stocks higher while precious metals attract those seeking safety amid volatility in the crypto space.