rises 4% after earnings beat, lifting AI miners CIFR, IREN, WULF,

Nvidia(NVDA), the world’s largest public company by market value and bellwether for the AI sector, once again topped Wall Street expectations for the fourth quarter, reporting results after the close of U.S. markets on Wednesday.

The chipmaker beat estimates, reporting revenue of $68.1 billion, a 73% increase from a year earlier, as continued AI-related capital spending fueled strong demand for its chips. It also reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.62, beating estimates. Wall Street analysts expected Nvidia to report approximately $66.1 billion in revenue and $1.54 in adjusted EPS, according to FactSet data.

Shares rose nearly 3% in post-market trading on Wednesday following the earnings release.

Investors are now focused on guidance. Nvidia expects first-quarter revenue of around $78 billion, up from analyst expectations of $72.9 billion, setting the tone for the next phase of AI-driven growth.

The chip-making giant also said that its Data Center revenue for the fourth quarter was a record $62.3 billion, up 75% from a year ago and up 22% from the prior quarter, driven by the “major platform shifts – accelerated computing and AI.”

Following the results and outlook, bitcoin remained at session highs around $69,500 after a 10% rally from Tuesday’s lows. AI-focused crypto tokens such as Bittensor (TAO) and Internet Computer (ICP) added to their gains.

Crypto miners, increasingly linked to AI and high-performance computing infrastructure, also saw modest gains following Nvidia’s report. IREN (IREN), Cipher Digital (CIFR), and TeraWulf (WULF were 1%-2% higher in after-hours trading.

The company will host a conference call at 5 p.m. ET, where investors will be listening closely for further signals on the next phase of the AI infrastructure buildout.