The9 Posts Record Quarterly Profit; Expects Sequential Growth Through 2026

The9 (Nasdaq: NCTY) reported unaudited net income of US$23 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, described as its strongest quarter since its 2004 IPO.

Rhea-AI Summary

The9 (Nasdaq: NCTY) reported unaudited net income of US$23 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, described as its strongest quarter since its 2004 IPO. Profit was driven mainly by receiving 1.425 billion 9BIT tokens, measured at fair value on crypto exchanges.

According to The9, its cooperation agreement with the 9BIT Foundation will provide a total allocation of about 1.9 billion 9BIT tokens, including 475 million received in April 2026. The company estimates its total cryptocurrency holdings at roughly US$110 million. The9’s AI-powered game creation platform, the9bit, launched in August 2025, has surpassed 8 million registered users and enabled the creation of more than 110,000 games.

The Board approved a long-term incentive plan under which senior management may receive equity awards up to 12% of outstanding shares, vesting only if quarterly net income exceeds first-quarter levels in each remaining 2026 quarter and subject to multi-year vesting and a three-year lock-up.

Positive

• US$23 million net income in Q1 2026, strongest since 2004 IPO
• Received 1.425 billion 9BIT tokens in Q1 2026 driving profit
• Total cryptocurrency holdings estimated at about US$110 million
• the9bit exceeds 8 million registered users and 110,000 games created
• Management incentive plan tied to higher quarterly net income throughout 2026

Negative

• Equity incentive pool up to 12% of outstanding shares may dilute holders
• Quarterly net income heavily reliant on non-cash 9BIT token receipts
• Crypto holdings and token-related income exposed to digital asset price volatility

Argus Jul 27 session 22 alerts

+41.43% close to close 16.2x rel. volume Open Argus

Details

Market reaction after 1Q26 earnings report: NCTY +41.43% in the Jul 27 session

+8.7% Peak Tracked

-34.3% Trough Tracked

$51.93M Market Cap

In the Jul 27 session, NCTY gained 41.43%, reflecting a significant positive market reaction. Argus tracked a peak move of +8.7% during that session. Argus tracked a trough of -34.3% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 22 alerts that day, indicating elevated trading interest and price volatility. Trading volume was exceptionally heavy at 16.2x the daily average, suggesting very strong buying interest.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Market Context

The stock surged +41.4% in the session following this news. 17.46% was the 24-hour reaction recorded...

Analysis

The stock surged +41.4% in the session following this news. 17.46% was the 24-hour reaction recorded for news_id 1017084, providing a historical comparison for this announcement. The active US$188 million F-3/A shelf remains a financing risk alongside digital-asset exposure.

Key Figures

Net income: US$23 million 9BIT tokens received: 1.425 billion tokens Additional 9BIT tokens: 475 million tokens +5 more

Net income

US$23 million

Three months ended March 31, 2026

9BIT tokens received

1.425 billion tokens

First quarter 2026

Additional 9BIT tokens

475 million tokens

Received in April 2026

Total 9BIT allocation

Approximately 1.9 billion tokens

Under cooperation agreement with the 9BIT Foundation

Cryptocurrency holdings

Approximately US$110 million

Including BTC and 9BIT, based on quoted market prices

Registered users

More than 8 million users

the9bit since its August 2025 launch

Games created

More than 110,000 games

Using the9bit's AI-assisted tools

Equity awards

Up to 12% of outstanding shares

Long-term incentive plan for senior management

Historical Context

2 past events · Latest: Feb 24

2 events

1. Feb 24

   9BIT token update

   24h Move

   +17.5%

   Token allocation and platform growth accompanied a 17.46% 24-hour reaction.

2. Feb 11

   AI gaming partnership

   24h Move

   +0.7%

   AI-powered interactive content initiative accompanied a 0.68% 24-hour reaction.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

fair value, us gaap, model-agnostic orchestration layer, lock-up period

4 terms

fair value financial

"measured at fair value based on observable market prices"

Fair value is an estimate of what an asset or company is really worth today, derived from expected future earnings, comparable market prices and other relevant facts—like agreeing a price for a used car after checking mileage, condition and similar listings. Investors use fair value to decide whether a stock looks overpriced or undervalued, which helps guide buy, hold or sell decisions and sets expectations for potential returns and risk.

View in glossary

us gaap financial

"accounts for its digital assets in accordance with applicable US GAAP"

U.S. GAAP is the set of official accounting rules and standards companies in the United States use to record and report their financial results. Like a common recipe book for financial statements, it makes company reports consistent and easier to compare, so investors can better judge profitability, risk and trends when deciding to buy, hold or sell shares.

model-agnostic orchestration layer technical

"a proprietary, model-agnostic orchestration layer that integrates AI agents"

A model-agnostic orchestration layer is a software middle layer that coordinates, routes and manages different machine-learning or statistical models without depending on any single model type or vendor. It acts like a universal traffic controller that sends data to the right models, combines their outputs, and handles scaling, monitoring and versioning. For investors, it matters because it lets a business add, replace or mix analytics tools quickly while keeping operations stable and measurable.

lock-up period financial

"a three-year lock-up period"

A lock-up period is a fixed time after a stock offering during which company insiders and early investors are legally barred from selling their shares. It matters because when that restriction expires a large block of previously locked-up shares can enter the market at once, potentially lowering the stock price or spiking trading volume—like opening a floodgate—so investors monitor these dates to anticipate price moves and manage risk.

View in glossary

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Digital asset gains power record quarter; AI-powered game creation platform the9bit surpasses 8 million registered users

SHANGHAI, July 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The9 Limited (Nasdaq: NCTY) ("The9" or the "Company"), a global diversified high-tech company, today reported net income of US$23 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, delivering the strongest quarter in the Company's history since its 2004 IPO. The result reflects substantial digital asset-related income, accelerating adoption of the9bit, and the continued build-out of the Company's cryptocurrency operations and digital asset holdings.

Digital Asset-Related Income and Token Allocation

First-quarter net income was driven primarily by the receipt of 1.425 billion 9BIT tokens during the period, measured at fair value based on observable market prices on digital asset trading platforms including KuCoin, MEXC and BingX.

An additional 475 million 9BIT tokens were received in April 2026 and will be reflected in second-quarter results, bringing the Company's total allocation to approximately 1.9 billion tokens under its cooperation agreement with the 9BIT Foundation, an independent crypto foundation established in Panama.

The Company accounts for its digital assets in accordance with applicable US GAAP. Its unaudited financial information for the three months ended March 31, 2026, has been reviewed by The9's independent auditors under applicable standards.

As of the date of this release, the Company's total cryptocurrency holdings, including BTC and 9BIT, are valued at approximately US$110 million based on quoted market prices. This estimate is provided for reference only and may not reflect realizable value.

the9bit Platform Growth

The9's AI-powered game creation platform, the9bit, has scaled rapidly since its August 2025 launch, surpassing 8 million registered users who have created more than 110,000 games using its proprietary AI-assisted tools. By enabling creators to transform ideas and digital assets into playable games, the9bit lowers development barriers and expands the Company's content offerings.

Advancing the9bit as an AI-Native Game Operating System

The9 is developing the9bit into an AI-native production operating system for interactive entertainment. At its center is a proprietary, model-agnostic orchestration layer that integrates AI agents, foundation models and development workflows into a unified platform — a capability the Company believes represents the9bit's core competitive advantage, independent of any single foundation model. In each project, an AI producer agent transforms a single natural-language prompt into a structured development plan and autonomously directs a distributed workforce of over 60 specialized AI agents across the full production pipeline, designed to enable playable interactive experiences in as little as 10 minutes. The Company expects this advantage to compound over time, as every production cycle generates proprietary data that further strengthens the platform's intelligence layer.

Incentive Plan

The Board of Directors has approved a long-term incentive plan under which senior management will be eligible to receive equity awards representing up to 12% of the Company's outstanding shares. Notably, the awards vest only if the Company achieves higher quarterly net income in each of the remaining three quarters of 2026 compared with the first quarter, reflecting management's confidence that the Company's profitability will continue to strengthen through the year. The awards are further subject to multi-year vesting conditions and a three-year lock-up period, reinforcing management's commitment to sustained, long-term shareholder value creation.

About The9 Limited

The9 Limited (Nasdaq: NCTY) is a global, diversified high-tech company redefining how games are created, played, and monetized. Founded in 1999 and Nasdaq-listed since 2004, The9 brings over two decades of gaming heritage to its flagship platform the9bit, an AI-powered digital asset ecosystem built around AI game creation and the $9BIT token economy, where every participant can play, create, earn, and own a stake in its growth. Beyond the9bit, The9 continues to explore emerging opportunities across AI-empowered industries and the broader digital ecosystem, including an equity stake in AI-driven drug discovery company NYB, building a multi-engine business positioned at the frontier of AI and the new economy, reshaping how value is created and shared.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains statements that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's beliefs and expectations as well as on assumptions made by and data currently available to management, appear in a number of places throughout this document and include statements regarding, amongst other things, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies and the industry in which we operate. The use of words "will", "expects", "intends", "anticipates", "estimates", "predicts", "believes", "should", "potential", "may", "preliminary", "forecast", "objective", "plan", or "target", and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to statements regarding our intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies, future market conditions or economic performance and developments in the capital and credit markets and expected future financial performance, and the markets in which we operate. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement, see The9's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The9 undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by applicable law.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the9-posts-record-quarterly-profit-expects-sequential-growth-through-2026-302834903.html

SOURCE The9 Limited

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What record profit did The9 (NASDAQ: NCTY) report for Q1 2026?

The9 reported unaudited net income of US$23 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. According to The9, this is the strongest quarterly result since its 2004 IPO, driven mainly by digital asset-related income from 9BIT token allocations.

How many 9BIT tokens has The9 (NCTY) received under its cooperation agreement?

The9 received 1.425 billion 9BIT tokens in Q1 2026 and another 475 million in April 2026. According to The9, this brings its total allocation under the 9BIT Foundation cooperation agreement to approximately 1.9 billion tokens.

What is the current value of The9’s cryptocurrency holdings as of July 27, 2026?

The9 estimates its total cryptocurrency holdings, including BTC and 9BIT, at about US$110 million. According to The9, this value is based on quoted market prices and is provided for reference only, as it may not represent realizable value.

How fast is The9’s AI game platform the9bit growing as of 2026?

The9’s AI-powered game creation platform, the9bit, has surpassed 8 million registered users since its August 2025 launch. According to The9, users have created more than 110,000 games using its AI-assisted tools, highlighting rapid platform adoption.

What are the terms of The9 (NCTY) 2026 management equity incentive plan?

The9’s Board approved equity awards of up to 12% of outstanding shares for senior management. According to The9, vesting requires higher quarterly net income in each remaining 2026 quarter versus Q1, plus multi-year vesting conditions and a three-year lock-up period.

How does The9 describe the9bit’s AI-native game production capabilities?

The9 is developing the9bit as an AI-native production operating system with a model-agnostic orchestration layer. According to The9, an AI producer agent coordinates over 60 specialized AI agents to produce playable interactive experiences from prompts in as little as ten minutes.