Chris Curl,
Editor
Sept. 11, 2025
Wall Street loves a good Cinderella story, but even by its standards, what happened to Eightco Holdings (NASDAQ: OCTO) this week was nothing short of jaw-dropping.
Last Friday, Eightco was an afterthought—a $4.4 million e-commerce minnow trading at $1.45 a share. By Monday afternoon? Its stock had ripped more than 3,000%, touching an intraday high of $83.12 before settling at $45.08. Suddenly, the same company that couldn’t get traction in retail was sitting on a market cap north of $190 million.
So, what on earth happened?
The Catalyst: Betting the House on Worldcoin
The spark was a bold pivot: Eightco announced it would launch “the world’s first Worldcoin treasury strategy,” backed by a $250 million private placement.
And not just from random investors—big names showed up. The World Foundation, co-founded by Sam Altman (yes, the OpenAI Sam Altman) and Alex Blania, joined the round. BitMine Immersion Technologies chipped in $20 million.
For a company on the ropes, this wasn’t just a rebrand. It was an institutional validation, a signal flare saying: we’re no longer a struggling e-commerce play—we’re a digital asset contender.
Enter Dan Ives: Star Power on the Board
If the Worldcoin bet was gasoline, Dan Ives was the match.
Ives, Wedbush’s Global Head of Tech Research, is one of Wall Street’s most visible tech analysts. CNBC, Bloomberg, CNN—you name it, he’s on it. His commentary has guided investors through the AI boom.
Now, he’s guiding Eightco as chairman. And his message is clear: Worldcoin isn’t a gimmick—it’s the future of authentication in the age of AI.
His arrival echoes a broader trend. When Fundstrat’s Tom Lee joined BitMine earlier this year, shares skyrocketed 800%. In today’s market, Wall Street celebrity appointments are more than just governance moves—they’re rocket fuel.
Why Worldcoin?
Worldcoin is a lightning rod. Loved by some, distrusted by others. Its pitch is audacious: use iris scans to create secure digital IDs, separating humans from bots as AI floods the economy.
The timing couldn’t have been better. Worldcoin’s token surged past $2.20 this week after rolling out new privacy tech, giving Eightco’s announcement a tailwind. With 13 million verified users and partnerships from Discord to Minecraft, the project has momentum.
The Treasury Playbook: Copying Saylor’s Model
Eightco is hardly the first to embrace crypto treasuries. MicroStrategy, under Michael Saylor, turned itself into a Bitcoin vault and saw its stock multiply.
Now the model is diversifying:
- Ethereum: BitMine is hoarding 2 million ETH worth $8.5B.
- Solana: Forward Industries has bet $1.65B on Solana with Galaxy Digital and Jump Crypto at its back.
Eightco’s Worldcoin gamble is the next iteration of this playbook. And the market is paying attention.
But Here’s the Catch: PIPE Financing and the Liquidity Mirage
Not everyone’s clapping. Critics warn this is another frothy sign of excess. PIPE deals (Private Investments in Public Equity) let companies raise huge sums quickly, but they also lock up shares and distort liquidity.
The risk? These treasury-first companies become fundraising machines disguised as operating businesses. When crypto prices dip—and they inevitably do—shareholders are left holding the bag while debt obligations remain fixed.
As Greg Taylor at PenderFund put it: this is “just the latest sign of excess risk-taking.”
Eightco isn’t shy about its transformation. It’s already petitioned Nasdaq to swap its ticker from OCTO to ORBS on September 11—a symbolic leap from retail obscurity into crypto’s main stage.
But regulatory clouds loom. Nasdaq and the SEC have hinted at scrutinizing companies whose only “business model” is buying tokens with PIPE cash. If that hammer comes down, Eightco’s playbook could hit a wall.
A Sign of the Times
Eightco’s rise is about more than one stock. It’s a snapshot of where finance is headed: balance sheets stuffed with tokens, not just dollars. Institutional backers chasing exposure to blockchain identity plays. Wall Street stars lending credibility—and momentum.
It’s thrilling, no doubt. But also precarious. If crypto keeps running, Eightco could mint fortunes. If not, this “stratospheric rise” might go down as just another bubble.
For now, though? Eightco is living the dream—proof that in today’s markets, obscurity can turn into sensation in a single headline.
Should you buy Eightco? Or are there better crypto treasury options out there?
I cover this topic in detail as well as manage two portfolios:
With what is shaping up to be an explosive Q4, you don’t want to miss out on what’s next.
Keep coming back,
Chris Curl
Editor, Daily Profit Cycle