Auradine, a maker of computing equipment for bitcoin (BTC) mining and AI applications, said it raised $153 million in a Series C funding round.

The Silicon Valley, California-based company also formed a new business group, AuraLinks AI, focused on open-standards to address cooling requirements of next-generation AI data centers.

AI data centers and BTC mining share similarities in their operational requirements. Given the proliferation of AI in mainstream use in recent years, the subject of data centers is now commonplace in public discourse. This is significant for the cryptocurrency industry because most things that relate to AI data centers could also be applied to bitcoin mining.

«Our dual focus on Bitcoin and AI infrastructure places Auradine at the intersection of pivotal technologies that will reshape computing and energy utilization for decades to come,» CEO Rajiv Khemani said in a statement.

The funding round, which took Auradine’s total backing to $300 million, was led by StepStone Group and included another contribution from bitcoin miner MARA, as well as Maverick Silicon, Samsung Catalyst Fund and Qualcomm Ventures, among others.

President Donald Trump’s trade war has introduced significant volatility to financial markets since March, prompting investors to chase assets they believe provide a hedge in this turbulent environment.

What’s clear: Bitcoin (BTC) is not one of them, much to the dismay of bullish investors who have long thought of the largest cryptocurrency as digital gold either as a store of value or a haven investment. The reality is that since the onset of the trade war, bitcoin has become more closely correlated with the Aussie dollar-yen pair (AUD/JPY), the foreign exchange market’s risk barometer.

Data from TradingView show the 90-day correlation coefficient between bitcoin and the AUD/JPY pair flipped positive in late February and has since hit the highest since November 2021. The tit-for-tat tariff war between the two nations has led to a staggering 245% cumulative levy on Chinese imports to the U.S., leading to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell reiterating stagflation risks on Wednesday.

The correlation of 0.80 — the maximum value is 1 — is considered strong, implying that the two variables, BTC and AUD/JPY, are closely related in their movements in the same direction.

In contrast, bitcoin’s 90-day correlation with gold flipped negative in late February and has since dropped to -0.80, just above the minimum -1. It means the two are closely related in their movements, but in opposite directions.

BTC, a proxy for risk

The Australian dollar, being China-sensitive and the home currency of a commodity-exporting nation, is seen as a risk currency. The yen is a safe haven because Japan has been a net international creditor for decades with near-zero interest rates.

When global markets are optimistic and commodity demand rises, the AUD typically appreciates, reflecting a higher risk appetite among investors and the yen drops. The opposite holds true when they become risk-averse.

Traders, therefore, monitor AUD/JPY as a risk indicator, viewing uptrends as positive signs for risk assets like stocks, and vice versa. Bitcoin, which was already emerging in a comparable role, has strengthened its position. The correlation data indicates that BTC is now as much a proxy for risk sentiment as AUD/JPY.

Wednesday’s price action between bitcoin (BTC) and U.S. equities caught investors’ attention highlighting early signs of a fading correlation between the two.

In a typical diversified portfolio, assets are expected to show little to no correlation. For example, gold has continued to hit all-time highs, setting 12 new daily records this year, demonstrating a clear dislocation from U.S. equities.

While bitcoin has often been labeled a leveraged play on the Nasdaq 100, recent trend suggest that relationship may be weakening.

Take BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which trades only during regular U.S. market hours. On Wednesday, it closed up 0.46%, even as the Nasdaq 100 plunged more than 3% , down as much as 4.5% at one point, which would’ve marked its fifth-largest point decline in history.

Strategy (MSTR), a bitcoin-levered play included in the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) finished the day up 0.30%, even as all of the Magnificent Seven tech stocks closed in the red, underscoring the growing divergence.

Throughout the day, the correlation between bitcoin and the Nasdaq fluctuated. For instance, while Fed Chair Jerome Powell was speaking, both assets dropped in tandem. However, bitcoin later rebounded above $84,000, while the Nasdaq continued to hit new intraday lows before recovering into the close.

Powell’s comments leaned more hawkish than expected, citing inflation concerns driven by tariff uncertainty and increases, labeling them an “evolving risk.” Short-term inflation expectations have also moved higher.

Markets were especially unsettled by Powell’s response to the question: Is there a Fed put for the stock market? Is there a Fed put for the stock market? Powell’s reply: “I’m going to say no.”

The “Fed put” is a long-held market theory suggesting the Fed will step in to stabilize markets during sharp downturns, a safety net that bitcoin, as a bearer asset, inherently lacks. The open question now: Was Powell bluffing, or is the Fed truly stepping away from its role as market backstop?