Demand for US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has accelerated over the past week, with a string of daily inflows coinciding with the Coldcard wallet hack — timing that has prompted speculation about whether some investors are reconsidering self-custody.According to Bloomberg senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC), Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB), ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) as well as Defiance Daily Target 2X Long MSTR ETF (MSBT) have recorded inflows every trading day since the weekend exploit, totaling roughly $620 million. The cumulative figure is consistent with Cointelegraph’s recent reporting on the ETF inflow streak.The Coldcard exploit drained more than $116 million worth of Bitcoin from over 5,200 wallet addresses, according to blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs.“I’m not saying it’s connected, we just don’t know,” Balchunas said in a post on X. “[Although]  long-term I can’t imagine there aren’t some who migrate over.”Source: Eric BalchunasRelated: Bitcoin Red Team reports 5K findings in sweeping security auditColdcard exploit renews debate over self-custody risksThe Coldcard hack renewed concerns that even hardware wallet users can be exposed to firmware flaws and software vulnerabilities, highlighting the operational risks that come with self-custody.The incident also reignited debate over the trade-offs between holding Bitcoin directly and gaining exposure through regulated investment products such as spot Bitcoin ETFs, where asset custody and security are handled by institutional providers.Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao also weighed in on the debate, arguing that storing crypto on centralized exchanges may now be “statistically safer” than self-custody, citing data from analyst Willy Woo that cumulative Bitcoin losses from self-custody incidents have surpassed those from exchange hacks.Source: Changpeng Zhao“Hack data is easier to collect on the CEX side, usually major news. It is harder on the self-custody side, where hacks, lost coins, etc are often not reported,” CZ said.The debate comes as AI-assisted cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated. On Monday, Bitcoin swap service Boltz suspended its non-custodial bridge, citing a steady rise in AI-assisted exploits that were allowing attackers to identify and exploit vulnerabilities faster than its team could patch them.Magazine: Do the Coldcard attacks mean all hardware wallets are now insecure?

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Bitcoin miners’ pivot into artificial intelligence and high-performance computing (HPC) is reshaping their business models, but investors are no longer rewarding new infrastructure deals with the same enthusiasm they once did, suggesting the market has become more discerning as AI hosting strategies move into the mainstream.According to new analysis by Blocksbridge Consulting published in TheEnergyMag’s Miner Weekly, the market reaction to AI infrastructure announcements has weakened significantly over the past two years. Reviewing 25 AI and HPC infrastructure deals announced between June 2024 and August 2026, the report found that the average announcement-day stock move fell from roughly 24% for the earliest deals to about 10% for the most recent ones. Median gains also dropped by roughly half over the same period, even as the size and value of the contracts increased.The report found that annualized revenue per contracted megawatt has edged higher over time, indicating that AI hosting agreements are becoming more lucrative. However, as such deals become increasingly common, investors appear to be placing greater emphasis on execution, financing and long-term profitability than on headline contract values alone.AI infrastructure deals are becoming more valuable, but less market-moving. Source: TheEnergyMagThat shift is evident in how the market has responded to major announcements. Core Scientific’s initial hosting agreement with CoreWeave sent its shares up more than 40%, while Applied Digital’s first CoreWeave lease gained nearly 49% and TeraWulf’s first Fluidstack deal surged almost 60%.More recent mega-deals have drawn a much more muted response. TeraWulf’s 401-megawatt lease with Anthropic lifted its shares by about 5%, CleanSpark’s $6.6 billion AI hosting agreement gained nearly 9%, and Bitdeer’s new Tydal contract briefly pushed the stock up roughly 12% before those gains disappeared by the market close.Related: Crypto Biz: Is the AI-to-crypto rotation underway?Bitcoin mining stocks reflect cooling AI enthusiasmThe performance of Bitcoin mining stocks that have embraced AI and high-performance computing workloads also reflects the market’s cooling enthusiasm. TheEnergyMag’s TEM AI Infrastructure Growth Index, which tracks publicly traded companies developing AI data center and digital infrastructure businesses, is down roughly 28.5% from its June peak, suggesting investors have become more cautious even as AI infrastructure demand remains strong.While the TEM AI Infrastructure Growth Index remains sharply higher over the past year, its momentum has slowed in recent months. Source: TheEnergyMagThe slowdown mirrors a broader pullback in AI infrastructure stocks, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index falling nearly 17% from its July peak.Magazine: A quantum roadmap would push Bitcoin much higher: Charles Edwards