Key Takeaways

A group of cryptocurrency-focused stocks have racked up notable price surges in the last year, handily outpacing the growth of the "Magnificent 7," a collection of widely held leading technology firms.

The tech giants have been credited with lifting the markets this year, particularly by capitalizing on growing interest in generative artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs). However, the resurgence in cryptocurrency has fueled some of the fastest-growing stock prices amid renewed hope that a bitcoin exchange-traded fund will be approved.

Bitcoin mining and infrastructure company Riot Platforms Inc. (RIOT) has seen its shares skyrocket 364% in the year, while virtual currency exchange Coinbase Global's (COIN) stock has climbed 325% in the same time frame. Blockchain ecosystem and crypto mining company Marathon Digital Holdings Inc. (MARA) has surged by 378%. MicroStrategy Inc. (MSTR), a cloud services and mobile software company that has invested heavily in Bitcoin in recent years, is up 306%.

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Key to the crypto-firm rally has been a broader increase in cryptocurrency prices in the last year. Bitcoin was trading at around $44,000 on Friday, up from below $17,000 at the start of the year.

Crypto skeptics had entered short positions against firms like Riot Platforms and Marathon Digital. These companies' stocks may have rallied both because of investors forced to buy to cover as well as new long positions from investors hoping to capitalize on the hot crypto market.

The Magnificent 7 comprises some of the largest mega-cap tech firms: Apple Inc. (AAPL), Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Meta Platforms Inc. (META), Google parent Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), Tesla Inc. (TSLA), and Nvidia Corp. (NVDA).

These companies, with already massive valuations, have experienced surging share prices in the past 12 months after declines throughout 2022. Still, none of the Magnificent 7 stocks have matched the performance of the four crypto-focused firms.

The best-performing Magnificent 7 companies this year are Nvidia and Meta, which have risen by 232% and 164%, respectively. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) projects drove demand for Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs), tripling revenue year-over-year in the most recent quarter reported. Meta has outperformed analyst earnings expectations, trimmed costs, and raised guidance in recent quarters.

The Magnificent 7 largely comprises some of the largest companies in the world, so comparing it to smaller, more focused companies with much smaller market capitalizations can be tricky. However, the stock price often reflects demand and is less reliant on the size of companies.

While Nvidia and Meta come closest to the gains of the hottest-trading crypto companies, most other big-name tech stocks have produced rallies that seem paltry by comparison. Amazon has climbed by 71% in the last year, and Microsoft by 56%. The lowest-performing Magnificent 7 companies are Apple, with a 56% stock increase, and Google, rising 52% year-to-date.

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These 4 Crypto-Related Stocks Beat Magnificent 7 Tech Returns So Far This Year - Investopedia