TAO's 23% Jump Signals Rising Institutional Interest in AI Staking

TAO, the

AI-based digital currency, jumped 23% at the start of November 2025 after a new European ETP (Exchange-Traded Product) debuted on the SIX Swiss Exchange, as reported by . The staked Bittensor ETP (STAO), created by Safello and DDA, allows regulated investors to gain exposure to and benefit from staking rewards, representing a major step for institutional involvement, according to Coindoo. This launch came as the broader market showed strong interest in AI-related assets, with miners reportedly raising $11 billion through convertible bonds to fund AI data center construction, the article noted.

TAO's price surge reflected a wider recovery in the crypto sector, with

(VIRTUAL) climbing more than 65% over the week, Coindoo stated. Experts pointed to the possibility of outsized gains in early-stage AI tokens, while established names like TAO and focus on consistent growth, the report continued.

At the same time, institutional trust in digital assets continued to strengthen.

posted a net profit of $432.6 million and revenue of $1.9 billion for Q3, fueled by institutional trading and stablecoin activity, according to a . The exchange's third-quarter performance highlighted the growing maturity of crypto finance, with assets under custody exceeding $300 billion, DigitalJournal noted. Likewise, Strategy, a Bitcoin treasury company, saw its stock rise 5.7% in after-hours trading after reporting $2.8 billion in Q3 net income, beating Wall Street expectations, Coindoo reported.

In traditional equities, earnings season brought mixed outcomes. Otter Tail (OTTR) saw a 2.7% drop in Q2 2025 revenue but surpassed earnings-per-share forecasts, as detailed on the

, while Proto Labs (PRLB) achieved 7.8% revenue growth, driven by strong demand for U.S. CNC machining and sheet metal, according to . Conversely, European manufacturing softness weighed on companies like nVent (NVT), which reported robust results from its EPG AVAIL unit but cautioned about ongoing regional headwinds, as per .

The AI industry's momentum was further supported by analyst insights. RBC's Elvira Scotto upgraded Williams (WMB) to "buy" ahead of its Q3 report, citing long-term growth drivers for natural gas infrastructure linked to AI and data center expansion, according to

. Philips also emphasized AI's contribution in its Q2 2025 update, reporting stable progress in its Diagnosis & Treatment and Connected Care divisions, as noted in an .

With these developments unfolding, the introduction of the STAO ETP has brought new institutional liquidity to TAO, and analysts are predicting a possible 115% price rise by October 2026, according to Coindoo. Still, volatility remains a key risk, especially for speculative tokens in the early stage, which face questions about self-reported trading volumes, DigitalJournal observed.