Key Takeaways
- On March 12, 2026, Eightco Holdings (ORBS) obtained $125 million through new institutional funding agreements.
- Bitmine (BMNR) leads the round with $75 million, while ARK Invest and Payward (Kraken’s parent company) contribute $25 million each.
- Tom Lee, chairman of Bitmine, joins the ORBS board as Dan Ives departs from his chairman role.
- During early March, ORBS deployed $52.5 million into OpenAI equity and $25 million toward Beast Industries owned by MrBeast.
- Thursday morning saw ORBS stock climb as high as 22%, reaching approximately 99 cents per share.
On March 12, 2026, Eightco Holdings (ORBS) revealed it had secured $125 million through new institutional funding commitments, propelling shares upward by more than 20% during early trading hours.
Bitmine (BMNR), the digital asset firm where crypto advocate Tom Lee serves as chairman, spearheads the funding round with a $75 million pledge. Cathie Wood’s ARK Investment Management and Payward—Kraken’s parent entity—each contributed $25 million to the round.
Shares reached 99 cents during Thursday morning sessions, representing approximately 22% growth for the day. This marks a significant recovery for the company after shares had declined more than 90% over recent months.
The newly raised capital will support ORBS’ expansion initiatives across AI technologies, blockchain infrastructure projects, and digital consumer platform development.
Dan Ives exits his chairman position as part of ongoing corporate restructuring. The prominent Wedbush tech analyst assumed the chairman role in September of the previous year. Tom Lee will assume a director position on the ORBS board.
Brett Winton, who holds the Chief Futurist title at ARK Invest, will contribute as a board advisor.
Ives released a statement describing the incoming team as “the perfect” group to advance the company’s strategic vision.
Barron’s featured a cover story in late January exploring Ives’s dual responsibilities and examining potential conflicts between his chairman duties and his sell-side analyst position at Wedbush. Wedbush chose not to provide commentary regarding Thursday’s developments.
Capital Deployment in OpenAI and Beast Industries
Ahead of Thursday’s funding announcement, ORBS had already begun allocating capital to strategic opportunities. The company acquired economic interests in OpenAI equity worth approximately $52.5 million on March 6.
Two days later, on March 10, ORBS committed roughly $25 million to Beast Industries—the enterprise behind content creator MrBeast—which includes $7 million in capital scheduled for delivery within 60 days.
ORBS maintains existing holdings in Worldcoin, the project co-created by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, along with Ethereum positions.
Company representatives characterized the OpenAI and Beast Industries transactions as “initial strategic investments,” signaling potential additional deals ahead.
Market Analysis Perspective
The latest analyst evaluation assigns ORBS a Hold rating, establishing a price target at $1.50.
ORBS maintains a market capitalization near $160 million, accompanied by average daily share volume of approximately 4.6 million.
Through its latest funding and investment initiatives, the company now holds simultaneous positions spanning OpenAI, Beast Industries, Worldcoin, and Ethereum.
