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In less than two years, Liang Wenfeng’s DeepSeek stands ready to pull him into the top tier of AI global wealth leaders. Or, he might simply remain a billionaire. The answer depends on who you ask.

According to startup founders and AI experts, the firm’s value estimates range from $1 billion to $150 billion. The mid-range puts the firm between $2 billion and $30 billion, placing Liang with his 84% stake among Asia’s wealthiest tech moguls, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

DeepSeek shrouds its valuation in secrecy, leaving investors guessing

Since the funding and revenue of DeepSeek are not openly available to the public, it has not been easy to come up with the correct value for the company. This company is privately owned, and according to the available information, it has been financed by Liang’s hedge fund trading proceeds. “It’s basically impossible to give a convincing answer here because it’s a secretive firm,” says Jeffrey Emanuel, the founder of Pastel Network.

DeepSeek’s public relations have chosen to stay neutral and have not commented on the company’s valuation, leaving the competition for the sources of the estimates. AI specialists and startup founders have analyzed DeepSeek’s valuation.

Glasswing Ventures Managing Partner Rudina Seseri values the company at a minimum of one billion dollars compared with other AI firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic. However, some, such as Chanakya Ramdev of Sweat Free Telecom, think that DeepSeek can be worth half of OpenAI’s $300 billion valuation but is higher than Nvidia’s Jensen Huang.

The current discussions on DeepSeek’s valuation are being conducted at a time of surge in AI investment. For instance, Anthropic, an AI company supported by Amazon, is worth $60 billion, while Mistral AI from France is worth $6 billion.

Comparisons have also been drawn with China’s Zhipu AI, valued at $3 billion. However, it is hard to determine the stability of this sector because it is volatile. Recently, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, rejected a $97.4 billion bid from investors, including Elon Musk, to buyout OpenAI’s controlling nonprofit.

DeepSeek’s impact goes beyond the guesswork of the value. The company has reversed the conventional wisdom on AI innovation, disrupting Silicon Valley’s primacy and fueling global shifts in AI power. It even spurred the biggest stock drop in Nvidia’s history, indicating the shift in the AI world.

Liang Wenfeng builds an AI empire that challenges global markets

Liang Wenfeng was born in 1985 in Zhanjiang, China, and graduated from Zhejiang University with a degree in electronic engineering before pursuing a master’s in information and communication engineering. Quantitative trading was his first career choice; he co-founded Zhejiang High-Flyer Asset Management, which at one point controlled $12 billion.

Liang created DeepSeek in 2023 as an AI venture for his hedge fund, Zhejiang High-Flyer Asset Management, which Liang and two other engineers from Zhejiang University set up. The trio began trading as students during the global financial crisis. Despite the fact that the company is quite young, it has already been restricted by “hundreds” of companies, while governments from Australia to South Korea have also restricted access to government devices due to security concerns.

When strategic investments start coming in from Chinese tech giants like Microsoft did with OpenAI, then DeepSeek’s value will be further solidified. According to Emanuel, even at what seems to be very high valuations, these investments could be very valuable in the long run.

DeepSeek is currently an enigma, a company whose value is still unknown but one that has changed the AI investment landscape. The big question still remains: Will Liang Wenfeng keep on the path to becoming one of the richest people in the world, or will DeepSeek’s valuation be on the lower end of the estimate? Only time will tell.

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Ethereum ($ETH ) has witnessed a significant exchange outflow, marking the largest single-day movement of ETH in nearly 23 months. This shift underscores a growing long-term holding sentiment among investors, which could impact price stability and future market trends.

Massive Exchange Outflow Signals Strong Holding Sentiment

According to Santiment, a leading market intelligence platform, approximately 224,410 ETH—valued at over $605 million—was withdrawn from major exchanges between February 8 and 9. This substantial outflow suggests that investors are moving assets into self-custody, reducing the available exchange supply and lowering the chances of large-scale sell-offs.

Further data from CryptoQuant reveals that Ethereum’s exchange supply ratio has dropped to a record low of 0.137, reinforcing the notion that investors are opting to hold rather than sell.

Current Market Performance and Price Trends

At present, Ethereum is trading around $2,714, with a market capitalization of $327 billion. Over the past 24 hours, ETH has gained approximately 3%, reflecting renewed optimism despite recent price volatility.

Technical Indicators and Price Momentum

1. Accumulation/Distribution (A/D) Indicator: The A/D line, currently at 132.62 million units, indicates sustained investor accumulation, suggesting upward price momentum.

2. Bollinger Bands (BB): Ethereum’s price is currently near the lower band but is moving closer to the middle band, signaling increased volatility and the potential for a breakout.

3. Taker Buy-Sell Ratio: While the market is showing bullish signs, derivatives market sentiment remains cautiously bearish, indicating possible short-term price fluctuations.

Potential Price Targets and Key Resistance Levels

Bullish Scenario: If ETH maintains buying momentum and breaks the $2,850 resistance, it could rally toward $2,975. A sustained uptrend could push ETH toward $3,050, a critical psychological level.

Bearish Scenario: Failure to hold the $2,660 support level could result in downward pressure, potentially driving ETH toward $2,500.

Notably, $6 billion in fresh capital inflows has entered the Ethereum market in the past week, as highlighted by crypto analyst Ali Martinez. This injection of liquidity could provide further upward momentum if demand continues.

Historical Cycles and Future Outlook

Looking at historical trends, analysts point to Q1 2025 as a potential breakout period for Ethereum. In previous cycles (2017 and 2021), ETH delivered its strongest quarterly performances between January and April. If a similar pattern unfolds, Ethereum could see significant gains in early 2025.

Conclusion: Is a Breakout Imminent?

Ethereum is currently consolidating between $2,500 and $2,850, forming a range-bound trading pattern. Given the declining exchange supply, increasing accumulation, and rising investor confidence, a breakout in either direction is likely in the coming weeks.

Investors should closely monitor macro trends, technical indicators, and overall market sentiment to anticipate Ethereum’s next major price movement.

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