{"id":61184,"date":"2026-04-22T12:38:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T16:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/bitcoin-nears-80k-as-google-unveils-185b-ai-spending-plan-and-us-moves-to-bail-out-spirit\/61184\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T12:38:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T16:38:34","slug":"bitcoin-nears-80k-as-google-unveils-185b-ai-spending-plan-and-us-moves-to-bail-out-spirit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/bitcoin-nears-80k-as-google-unveils-185b-ai-spending-plan-and-us-moves-to-bail-out-spirit\/61184\/","title":{"rendered":"Bitcoin Nears $80K as Google Unveils $185B AI Spending Plan and US Moves to Bail Out Spirit"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/bitcoin-nears-80k-as-google-unveils-185b-ai-spending-plan-and-us-moves-to-bail-out-spirit\/61184\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/bitcoin-nears-80k-as-google-unveils-185b-ai-spending-plan-and-us-moves-to-bail-out-spirit\/61184\/#Tech_Giants_Double_Down_on_AI_Infrastructure\" >Tech Giants Double Down on AI Infrastructure<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/bitcoin-nears-80k-as-google-unveils-185b-ai-spending-plan-and-us-moves-to-bail-out-spirit\/61184\/#Crypto_Momentum_and_the_80000_Threshold\" >Crypto Momentum and the $80,000 Threshold<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/bitcoin-nears-80k-as-google-unveils-185b-ai-spending-plan-and-us-moves-to-bail-out-spirit\/61184\/#Geopolitical_Risks_and_Diplomatic_Maneuvers\" >Geopolitical Risks and Diplomatic Maneuvers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/bitcoin-nears-80k-as-google-unveils-185b-ai-spending-plan-and-us-moves-to-bail-out-spirit\/61184\/#Corporate_Rescues_and_Regulatory_Shifts\" >Corporate Rescues and Regulatory Shifts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/bitcoin-nears-80k-as-google-unveils-185b-ai-spending-plan-and-us-moves-to-bail-out-spirit\/61184\/#Consumer_Sector_Performance\" >Consumer Sector Performance<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bitcoin (<a href=\"\/stock\/BTC\">BTC<\/a>) surged 4.4% to $79,100<\/strong>, approaching the psychological <strong>$80,000<\/strong> level following <strong>$1.54 billion<\/strong> in ETF inflows over the last six days.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alphabet (<a href=\"\/stock\/GOOGL\">GOOGL<\/a>)<\/strong> CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed a massive <strong>$175 billion to $185 billion<\/strong> capital expenditure plan for 2026 to fuel the global AI infrastructure race.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The US government is reportedly nearing a $500 million bailout<\/strong> of Spirit Airlines (<a href=\"\/stock\/SAVE\">SAVE<\/a>), which could result in the Treasury acquiring up to a <strong>90% equity stake<\/strong> in the carrier.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Geopolitical tensions escalated<\/strong> as Senator Lindsey Graham warned that the current naval blockade on Iranian ships <strong>&quot;could become global soon&quot;<\/strong> to halt the regime&#39;s maritime trade.<\/li>\n<li><strong>EssilorLuxottica (<a href=\"\/stock\/EL.PA\">EL.PA<\/a>)<\/strong> posted an <strong>11% sales jump<\/strong> for Q1 2026, driven by surging consumer demand for its <strong>AI-powered smart glasses<\/strong> developed with Meta.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tech_Giants_Double_Down_on_AI_Infrastructure\"><\/span>Tech Giants Double Down on AI Infrastructure<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Alphabet (<a href=\"\/stock\/GOOGL\">GOOGL<\/a>) CEO Sundar Pichai has solidified the company\u2019s commitment to AI dominance, confirming a 2026 capital expenditure target of <strong>$175 billion to $185 billion<\/strong>. This massive investment aims to expand data center capacity and proprietary silicon as <em>supply chain bottlenecks for high-end chips remain a primary constraint<\/em>. Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian also noted that the company&#39;s <strong>Gemini AI<\/strong> will be the engine enabling Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>) to launch a significantly more personalized and capable <strong>Siri<\/strong> by late 2026.<\/p>\n<p>In the wearable tech sector, EssilorLuxottica (<a href=\"\/stock\/EL.PA\">EL.PA<\/a>) reported Q1 revenue of <strong>\u20ac7.13 billion<\/strong>, meeting analyst estimates. The company highlighted that demand for <strong>AI glasses<\/strong> continues to support growth in both physical retail and e-commerce channels. <em>Analysts suggest that the integration of AI into traditional consumer products is becoming a primary revenue driver for the luxury eyewear group.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Crypto_Momentum_and_the_80000_Threshold\"><\/span>Crypto Momentum and the $80,000 Threshold<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Bitcoin (<a href=\"\/stock\/BTC\">BTC<\/a>) is trading at approximately <strong>$79,100<\/strong>, nearing a historic breakout as momentum builds across institutional and retail channels. The rally has been supported by consistent <strong>ETF inflows<\/strong> totaling over <strong>$1.5 billion<\/strong> in the past week alone. <em>The price action has triggered a massive short squeeze<\/em>, wiping out an estimated <strong>$200 million<\/strong> in bearish positions as the market anticipates a move past the <strong>$80,000<\/strong> mark.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Geopolitical_Risks_and_Diplomatic_Maneuvers\"><\/span>Geopolitical Risks and Diplomatic Maneuvers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) signaled a potential expansion of military pressure on Tehran, stating that the current blockade of Iranian ships could soon scale globally. This follows reports that <strong>Iran remains more capable<\/strong> than the <a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/live\/trump-stock-market\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Trump\">Trump<\/a> administration has publicly acknowledged. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that Israel is <strong>&quot;ready for all scenarios&quot;<\/strong> in both defense and attack, maintaining a high state of alert in the region.<\/p>\n<p>In Eastern Europe, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that Ukraine is ready for talks with Russia <strong>&quot;in any format, at any moment.&quot;<\/strong> This follows a series of high-level discussions between <strong>U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators<\/strong> held yesterday. <em>The shift toward diplomacy comes amid a short-term ceasefire extension currently being managed by the White House.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Corporate_Rescues_and_Regulatory_Shifts\"><\/span>Corporate Rescues and Regulatory Shifts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/live\/trump-stock-market\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Trump\">Trump<\/a> administration is reportedly finalizing a <strong>$500 million bailout<\/strong> for Spirit Airlines (<a href=\"\/stock\/SAVE\">SAVE<\/a>) to prevent a total liquidation of the low-cost carrier. Under the proposed terms, the US government could acquire as much as <strong>90% of the company<\/strong> through warrants and equity stakes. <em>This move marks one of the most significant federal interventions in the aviation sector since the 2020 pandemic era.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>On the regulatory front, reports from Axios indicate that President Trump plans to <strong>reclassify marijuana<\/strong> as a Schedule III drug as early as Wednesday. This policy shift is expected to ease federal restrictions and open the door for expanded medical research and institutional investment. Additionally, in the financial sector, <strong>Sony Life Insurance<\/strong> has launched an internal investigation into dozens of cases of <strong>financial misconduct<\/strong> estimated to involve up to 30 separate fraud incidents.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Consumer_Sector_Performance\"><\/span>Consumer Sector Performance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>L&#39;Oreal (<a href=\"\/stock\/OR.PA\">OR.PA<\/a>) reported a <strong>6.7% increase<\/strong> in quarterly sales, reaching <strong>\u20ac12.15 billion<\/strong>, fueled by resilience in the US and emerging markets. While growth in China stood at mid-to-high single digits, the company noted that it continues to outpace the broader market. Conversely, Carrefour (<a href=\"\/stock\/CA.PA\">CA.PA<\/a>) saw Q1 sales rise <strong>2.2%<\/strong> to <strong>\u20ac21.08 billion<\/strong>, falling slightly short of the <strong>3.21%<\/strong> growth expected by analysts. <em>Retailers are navigating a complex environment of shifting consumer sentiment and persistent inflationary pressures in the European market.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Bitcoin (BTC) surged 4.4% to $79,100, approaching the psychological $80,000 level following $1.54 billion in ETF inflows over 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