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benzinga49d ago

Lamar Advertising Company Announces Fourth Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2025 Operating Results

Three Month ResultsNet revenues were $595.9 millionNet income was $154.7 millionAdjusted EBITDA was $288.9 millionTwelve Month ResultsNet revenues were $2.27 billionNet income was $593.1 millionAdjusted EBITDA was $1.06 billionBATON ROUGE, La., Feb. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lamar Advertising Company (the "Company" or "Lamar") (NASDAQ:LAMR), a leading owner and operator of outdoor advertising and logo sign displays, announces the Company's operating results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2025."We ended 2025 with encouraging sales momentum, with growth in both local and national in the fourth quarter, even with a tough political comp," chief executive Sean Reilly said. "That strength continued into 2026, and pacings for the balance of the year remain promising. For the full-year, we anticipate diluted AFFO per share to be between $8.50 and $8.70."Fourth Quarter HighlightsNet revenues increased 2.8%Net income increased $155.7 million from a net loss in the 2024 periodAdjusted EBITDA increased 3.7%AFFO increased 1.8%Fourth Quarter ResultsLamar reported net revenues of $595.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2025 versus $579.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, a 2.8% increase. Operating income for the fourth quarter of 2025 increased $159.4 million to $196.1 million as compared to $36.7 million for the same period in 2024. Lamar recognized net income of $154.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2025 as compared to a net loss of $1.0 million for the same period in 2024, an increase of $155.7 million. This increase was due to the revision in the estimate of our asset retirement obligations that occurred in the fourth quarter of 2024 resulting in an additional $159.7 million recorded to depreciation and amortization expense in the three months ended December 31, 2024. Net income per diluted share was $1.50 for the three months ended December 31, 2025 and net loss per diluted share was $0.01 for the three months ended December 31, 2024.Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter of 2025 was $288.9 million versus $278.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, an increase of 3.7%.Cash flow provided by operating activities was $271.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2025 versus $279.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, a decrease of $8.2 million. Free cash flow for the fourth quarter of 2025 was $187.1 million as compared to $195.6 million for the same period in 2024, a 4.3% decrease.For the fourth quarter of 2025, funds from operations, or FFO, was $226.5 million versus $226.7 million for the same period in 2024, a decrease of 0.1%. Adjusted funds from operations, or AFFO, for the fourth quarter of 2025 was $230.6 million compared to $226.5 million for the same period in 2024, an increase of 1.8%. Diluted AFFO per share increased 1.4% to $2.24 for the three months ended December 31, 2025 as compared to $2.21 for the same period in 2024.Acquisition-Adjusted Three Months Results Acquisition-adjusted net revenue for the fourth quarter of 2025 increased 2.2% over acquisition-adjusted net revenue for the fourth quarter of 2024. Acquisition-adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter of 2025 increased 2.1% as compared to acquisition-adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter of 2024. Acquisition-adjusted net revenue and acquisition-adjusted EBITDA include adjustments to the 2024 period for acquisitions and divestitures for the same time frame as actually owned in the 2025 period. See "Reconciliation of Reported Basis to Acquisition-Adjusted Results", which provides reconciliations to GAAP for acquisition-adjusted measures.Twelve Month ResultsLamar reported net revenues of $2.27 billion for the year ended December 31, 2025 versus $2.21 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, a 2.7% increase. Operating income for the year ended December 31, 2025 increased $242.0 million to $774.1 million as compared to $532.0 million for the same period in 2024. Lamar recognized net income of $593.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 as compared to net income of $362.9 million for the same period in 2024, an increase of $230.1 million. The 63.4% increase in net income for the year ended December 31, 2025 as compared to 2024 was primarily related to the $68.6 million gain recorded for the sale of Lamar's equity interest in Vistar Media, Inc. ("Vistar") in 2025, as well as the revision in the estimate of our asset retirement obligations that occurred in 2024, resulting in an additional $159.7 million recorded to depreciation and amortization expense in 2024. Net income per diluted share was $5.77 and $3.52 for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $1.06 billion versus $1.03 billion for the same period in 2024, an increase of 2.4%.Cash flow provided by operating activities was $864.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 as compared to $873.6 million for the same period in 2024, a decrease of $9.6 million. Free cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $696.6 million as compared to $735.9 million for the same period in 2024, a 5.3% decrease.For the year ended December 31, 2025, funds from operations, or FFO, was $827.3 million versus $798.4 million for the same period in 2024, an increase of 3.6%. Adjusted funds from operations, or AFFO, for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $846.7 million compared to $819.0 million for the same period in 2024, an increase of 3.4%. Diluted AFFO per share increased 3.4% to $8.26 for the year ended December 31, 2025 as compared to $7.99 for the same period in 2024.LiquidityAs of December 31, 2025, Lamar had $807.0 million in total liquidity that consisted of $742.2 million available for borrowing under its revolving senior credit facility and $64.8 million in cash and cash equivalents. There were no borrowings outstanding under the Company's revolving credit facility and $250.0 million outstanding under the Accounts Receivable Securitization Program as of the same date.GuidanceWe expect net income per diluted share for fiscal year 2026 to be between $5.72 and $5.83, with diluted AFFO per share between $8.50 and $8.70. See "Supplemental Schedules Unaudited REIT Measures and Reconciliations to GAAP Measures" for reconciliation to GAAP.Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding sales trends. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: (1) our significant indebtedness; (2) the state of the economy and financial markets generally, and the effect of the broader economy on the demand for advertising, including economic changes that may result from new or increased tariffs, trade restrictions or geopolitical tensions; (3) the continued popularity of outdoor advertising as an advertising medium; (4) our need for and ability to obtain additional funding for operations, debt refinancing or acquisitions; (5) our ability to continue to qualify as a Real Estate Investment Trust ("REIT") and maintain our status as a REIT; (6) the regulation of the outdoor advertising industry by federal, state and local governments; (7) the integration of companies and assets that we acquire and our ability to recognize cost savings or operating efficiencies as a result of these acquisitions; (8) changes in accounting principles, policies or guidelines; (9) changes in tax laws applicable to REITs or in the interpretation of those laws; (10) our ability to renew expiring contracts at favorable rates; (11) our ability to successfully implement our digital deployment strategy; and (12) the market for our Class A common stock. For additional information regarding factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in our forward-looking statements, we refer you to the risk factors included in Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as supplemented by any risk factors contained in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this document. These statements speak only as of the date of this document, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise the statements, except as may be required by law.Use of Non-GAAP Financial MeasuresThe Company has presented the following measures that are not measures of performance under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"): adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("adjusted EBITDA"), free cash flow, funds from operations ("FFO"), adjusted funds from operations ("AFFO"), diluted AFFO per share, outdoor operating income, acquisition-adjusted results and acquisition-adjusted consolidated expense. Our management reviews our performance by focusing on these key performance indicators not prepared in conformity with GAAP. We believe these non-GAAP performance indicators are meaningful supplemental measures of our operating performance and should not be considered in isolation of, or as a substitute for their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.Our Non-GAAP financial measures are determined as follows:We define adjusted EBITDA as net income before income tax expense (benefit), interest expense (income), loss (gain) on extinguishment of debt and investments, equity in (earnings) loss of investee, stock-based compensation, depreciation and amortization, loss (gain) on disposition of assets and investments, transaction expenses and investments and capitalized contract fulfillment costs, net.Adjusted EBITDA margin is defined as adjusted EBITDA divided by net revenues.Free cash flow is defined as adjusted EBITDA less interest, net of interest income and amortization of deferred financing costs, current taxes, preferred stock dividends and total capital expenditures.We use the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts definition of FFO, which is defined as net income before (gain) loss from the sale or disposal of real estate assets and investments, net of tax, and real estate related depreciation and amortization and including adjustments to eliminate unconsolidated affiliates and non-controlling interest.We define AFFO as FFO before (i) straight-line income and expense; (ii) capitalized contract fulfillment costs, net; (iii) stock-based compensation expense; (iv) non-cash portion of tax expense (benefit); (v) non-real estate related depreciation and amortization; (vi) amortization of deferred financing costs; (vii) loss on extinguishment of debt; (viii) transaction expenses; (ix) non-recurring infrequent or unusual losses (gains); (x) less maintenance capital expenditures; and (xi) an adjustment for unconsolidated affiliates and non-controlling interest.Diluted AFFO per share is defined as AFFO divided by adjusted weighted average diluted common shares/units outstanding. Adjusted weighted average diluted common shares/units outstanding is calculated by adjusting the Company's weighted average diluted common shares to add the weighted average outstanding units of Lamar Advertising Limited Partnership ("Lamar LP"), the Company's operating partnership, that are held by limited partners of Lamar LP other than the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Lamar Media Corp. Upon the satisfaction of certain conditions, these units of Lamar LP are redeemable for cash or, at the Company's option, shares of the Company's Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis.Outdoor operating income is defined as operating income before corporate expenses, stock-based compensation, capitalized contract fulfillment costs, net, transaction expenses, depreciation and amortization and loss (gain) on disposition of assets and investments.Acquisition-adjusted results adjusts our net revenue, direct and general and administrative expenses, outdoor operating income, corporate expense and EBITDA for the prior period by adding to, or subtracting from, the corresponding revenue or expense generated by the acquired or divested assets before our acquisition or divestiture of these assets for the same time frame that those assets were owned in the current period. In calculating acquisition-adjusted results, therefore, we include revenue and expenses generated by assets that we did not own in the prior period but acquired in the current period. We refer to the amount of pre-acquisition revenue and expense generated by or subtracted from the acquired assets during the prior period that corresponds with the current period in which we owned the assets (to the extent within the period to which this report relates) as "acquisition-adjusted results".Acquisition-adjusted consolidated expense adjusts our total operating expense to remove the impact of stock-based compensation, depreciation and amortization, transaction expenses, capitalized contract fulfillment costs, net, and loss (gain) on disposition of assets and investments. The prior period is also adjusted to include the expense generated by the acquired or divested assets before our acquisition or divestiture of such assets for the same time frame that those assets were owned in the current period.Adjusted EBITDA, FFO, AFFO, diluted AFFO per share, free cash flow, outdoor operating income, acquisition-adjusted results and acquisition-adjusted consolidated expense are not intended to replace other performance measures determined in accordance with GAAP. Free cash flow, FFO and AFFO do not represent cash flows from operating activities in accordance with GAAP and, therefore, these measures should not be considered indicative of cash flows from operating activities as a measure of liquidity or of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to make cash distributions. Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow, FFO, AFFO, diluted AFFO per share, outdoor operating income, acquisition-adjusted results and acquisition-adjusted consolidated expense are presented as we believe each is a useful indicator of our current operating performance. Specifically, we believe that these metrics are useful to an investor in evaluating our operating performance because (1) each is a key measure used by our management team for purposes of decision making and for evaluating our core operating results; (2) adjusted EBITDA is widely used in the industry to measure operating performance as it excludes the impact of depreciation and amortization, which may vary significantly among companies, depending upon accounting methods and useful lives, particularly where acquisitions and non-operating factors are involved; (3) adjusted EBITDA, FFO, AFFO, diluted AFFO per share and acquisition-adjusted consolidated expense each provides investors with a meaningful measure for evaluating our period-over-period operating performance by eliminating items that are not operational in nature and reflect the impact on operations from trends in occupancy rates, operating costs, general and administrative expenses and interest costs; (4) acquisition-adjusted results is a supplement to enable investors to compare period-over-period results on a more consistent basis without the effects of acquisitions and divestitures, which reflects our core performance and organic growth (if any) during the period in which the assets were owned and managed by us; (5) free cash flow is an indicator of our ability to service debt and generate cash for acquisitions and other strategic investments; (6) outdoor operating income provides investors a measurement of our core results without the impact of fluctuations in stock-based compensation, depreciation and amortization and corporate expenses; and (7) each of our Non-GAAP measures provides investors with a measure for comparing our results of operations to those of other companies.Our measurement of adjusted EBITDA, FFO, AFFO, diluted AFFO per share, free cash flow, outdoor operating income, acquisition-adjusted results and acquisition-adjusted consolidated expense may not, however, be fully comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Reconciliations of adjusted EBITDA, FFO, AFFO, diluted AFFO per share, free cash flow, outdoor operating income, acquisition-adjusted results and acquisition-adjusted consolidated expense to the most directly comparable GAAP measures have been included herein.Conference Call InformationA conference call will be held to discuss the Company's operating results on Friday, February 20, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. central time. Instructions for the conference call and Webcast are provided below:Conference CallAll Callers:1-800-420-1271 or 1-785-424-1634Passcode:63104 Live Webcast:ir.lamar.com Webcast Replay:ir.lamar.com Available through Friday, February 27, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. eastern time Company Contact:Buster Kantrow Director of Investor Relations (225) 926-1000 <a href="mailto:

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Why Gen Z is so obsessed with Depop
fastcompany49d ago

Why Gen Z is so obsessed with Depop

The retail platform eBay is set to acquire fashion resale app Depop from Etsy in a $1.2 billion transaction. Ostensibly, the deal will help eBay to cultivate a new audience of Gen Z and Gen Alpha shoppers. But I think there’s a deeper reason that eBay might want to lock Depop down: it’s simply the best looking resale interface out there right now. The deal was announced on February 18 in a press release from Etsy. It’s expected to close some time in the second quarter of 2026, and, per an email sent to Depop’s customers, after the merger Depop will remain a stand-alone brand within eBay and retain its name, brand, and platform. For eBay, acquiring Depop makes a good measure of intuitive sense. Generally, resale is trending upward: Based on ThredUp’s 2025 Resale Report, the secondhand apparel market is expected to reach $367 billion by 2029, growing 2.7 times faster than the overall global apparel market. Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha shoppers are some of the strongest drivers of that trend, with 39% of younger generation shoppers having made a secondhand apparel purchase on a social commerce platform in the 12 months before the study was published.Depop is one of the top platforms for young people looking to buy and sell clothes. In 2025, the brand achieved approximately $1 billion in sales, including nearly 60% year-over-year growth in the U.S. As of December 31, it had seven million active customers, nearly 90% of which were younger than 34. That user base will be a major boon for eBay, who says that millennial and Gen Z consumers have been two of the biggest drivers of active buyer growth in the past three years.As a Gen Z vintage clothing enthusiast, I’ve shopped on pretty much every resale site you can think of, from Poshmark and ThredUp to eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Mercari, and Etsy. Among all of these options, Depop is far and away the best resale site to look at and the easiest one to use. That’s not to say that Depop doesn’t have any issues—a brief glance at the site’s subreddit will reveal plenty of user grievances, not least of which is the tendency of certain Depop sellers to price a Brandy Melville baby tee at a cost that could put your checking account in the red.But from a pure UX and design standpoint, Depop is far outperforming its competitors by taking its major design cues from popular social media apps. And for a digitally native generation that’s used to doing most of their shopping online, that makes a big difference. A social media-esque app experienceDepop knows that its customers are young, tech savvy, and probably spending most of their phone time on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram—and it shows in the app’s design. Depop homepage [Screenshot: courtesy of the author]When you open the Depop app, you’re immediately greeted with a “Suggested for you” page that’s functionally similarly to TikTok’s Explore feature. Here, the Depop algorithm presents you with an endlessly scrollable page of items curated based on your searches, likes, and saves—like how TikTok or Instagram might serve you videos according to your interests. In contrast, eBay’s app homepage looks more similar to a standard e-commerce webpage, directing users to its different goods categories and promoting whatever deals and sales are currently trending.eBay homepage [Screenshot: courtesy of the author]In terms of its layout, Depop’s app is simple and aesthetically pleasing. Its interface is almost identical to Pinterest—where many customers are likely looking for outfit inspiration—with a subtle bar of categories at the bottom of the page and about four spotlighted items on view at a time. The minimalist information density encourages you to keep scrolling to find more items, rather than overwhelming you with a sea of information. Other apps, like Poshmark, eBay, and ThredUp, seem to opt instead for presenting users with a wealth of options to choose from when they first log on, which, counterintuitively, can make scrolling feel less appealing. While I tend to open my computer if I want to browse other retail sites, I almost always open Depop on my phone, and imagine it in a similar category to social media apps. Considering that the secondhand apparel market is becoming so popular among younger shoppers, other resale platforms might want to take note.Simple selling UIOver the past few months, I’ve developed the niche hobby of restoring and selling vintage wedding dresses online (typically for a profit of about $10 apiece, but I’m in it for the fun of the game). Having used both Depop and Etsy to sell my own products, I find Depop’s seller UX more intuitive and simple to follow. [Screenshot: courtesy of the author]From an app standpoint, Etsy has two separate platforms: one app for selling, and one app for buying. On its website, sellers also have to navigate to a shop management platform to look at their listings. Depop, on the other hand, is consolidated into one app experience, where sellers can manage all of their listings and their purchases. Creating an actual Depop listing feels akin to making a post on Instagram. Sellers navigate to a “+” at the bottom of the app (like Instagram), add a series of photos and a caption (also like Instagram), and include a few key tags for their item. Depop also handles shipping through a system that lets users provide an estimate of their item’s weight and then creates an appropriate label. Shipping on Etsy is more seller-directed. While some more experienced sellers might prefer Etsy’s approach, Depop’s feels more beginner-friendly.A final refuge from AI listingsOne of my biggest personal gripes with the current state of resale shopping is the absolute deluge of AI-generated product images that seem to have flooded certain sites over the past few months. From top: Depop, eBay, Etsy. [Screenshot: courtesy of the author]In my experience, eBay and Etsy are the biggest offenders of this trend. Searching for the term “fantasy dress,” on eBay and Etsy, for example, leads to at least one out of four top results with all the hallmarks of an AI image. The same search on Depop yields results that all seem to be real photographs. This example is just one small microcosm of the shopping experience on these sites: while AI photos are becoming increasingly common in resale, buying on Depop still largely feels like sifting through a stranger’s closet, which was the site’s original charm.It’s unclear exactly why AI photos seem less prominent on Depop; though it may be related to the company’s regulations against stock photos. In its guidelines, Depop instructs sellers to “Only use photos taken by yourself.” Depop didn’t immediately respond to Fast Company’s request for comment on its AI imagery policies.

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globenewswire49d ago

Terra Property Trust, Inc. Commences Registered Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitation

NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terra Property Trust, Inc. (the “Company”) announced today that it has commenced offers to exchange (the “Exchange Offers”) any and all of its outstanding (i) 6.00% Notes due 2026 (the “TPTA Notes”) and (ii) 7.00% Notes due 2026 issued by Terra Income Fund 6, LLC (the “TIF6 Notes” and, together with the TPTA Notes, the “Existing Notes”), for newly issued 9.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2029 of the Company (the “Exchange Notes”), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Company’s pre-effective registration statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 13, 2026.

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ARRAS MINERALS ANNOUNCES RECOMMENCEMENT OF DRILLING AT ELEMES PROJECT IN KAZAKHSTAN
benzinga49d ago

ARRAS MINERALS ANNOUNCES RECOMMENCEMENT OF DRILLING AT ELEMES PROJECT IN KAZAKHSTAN

TSX-V: ARK / OTCQB: ARRKFVANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 20, 2026 /CNW/ - Arras Minerals Corp. (TSXV:ARK) (OTCQB:ARRKF) ("Arras" or "Arras Minerals" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the recommencement of diamond drilling at the Elemes Project in northeastern Kazakhstan.Tim Barry, CEO of Arras Minerals commented, "The 2026 program at Elemes is off to a very strong start. Two rigs have just mobilised to site, with a further two rigs scheduled to arrive in March as we materially accelerate activity across the project. With approximately 20,000 metres of drilling planned this year, this represents our most ambitious program to date and reflects our growing confidence in the scale potential emerging at Elemes. Our focus is to rapidly advance and expand the Berezski North and Berezski Central discoveries while continuing to define the broader porphyry footprint. In parallel, we will begin systematically testing Berezski East and Novii targets to determine their relationship to the main porphyry centres, with the objective of unlocking the potential across the 10-kilometre Berezski Trend."He went on to add, "The final Magneto-telluric and gravity survey results received in December have sharpened our targeting and provided greater conviction in the structural controls and scale of the system. Drilling to date has returned broad, near-surface intervals of copper and gold mineralization, reinforcing our view that Elemes has the potential to host a significant, large-scale porphyry system comparable to low-cost producing mines in Kazakhstan. We believe 2026 will be a transformative year for Arras as we continue to demonstrate the scale and continuity of this emerging copper-gold district."Two diamond drill rigs have arrived on site, with the first two holes commencing at the Berezski East target, focusing on defining and expanding the wide zones of gold-copper mineralization intersected by holes EL24004 (138.8m grading 0.77 g/t Au and 0.09% Cu starting from a depth of 1.2m) and EL25019 (457.5m grading 0.61 g/t Au and 0.10% Cu from surface), and explore the prominent gravity anomaly located to the east-northeast of drill-hole EL25019.Upon completion of these two holes, both drill-rigs will move up to drill at Berezski North, 4.5 kilometres northwest of Berezski East to follow-up on our previously announced holes EL25023 (246.2m grading 0.75 g/t Au, 0.24% Cu starting from a depth of 0.8m) and EL25014A (154.0m grading 0.72 g/t Au, 0.28% Cu starting at a depth of 130m), and to explore for the continuation of porphyry style bornite-chalcopyrite mineralization intersected by hole EL25027 (results pending).Two more drill rigs will arrive at site March, and will commence drilling at Berezski Central, where the Company has completed nine holes and defined a zone of copper-gold mineralization measuring approximately 600m x 500m by up to 550m depth. The target remains open to the north and south and top-of-bedrock (KGK) drilling reported in December 2025 (link) identified the continuation of gold and copper mineralization extending under cover to the east and west of the currently defined Berezski Central Target area.Notes: For copper and gold equivalent calculations the following metal process were used: US$3.75/lb. Copper, US$3,000/oz Gold, US$35/oz Silver, US$30/lb Molybdenum, and metallurgical recoveries have been updated to Cu 90%, Au 85%, Ag 75%, Mo 80%. All intervals are presented as core lengths as the true thicknesses of mineralization is currently unknown. Elemes Phase II Drill Program: ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

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3 Best Cryptos To Buy in Q1 2026 for 20x ROI
coinpedia49d ago

3 Best Cryptos To Buy in Q1 2026 for 20x ROI

The post 3 Best Cryptos To Buy in Q1 2026 for 20x ROI appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech NewsInvestors searching for the best crypto to buy now are looking at three very different projects. Cardano (ADA) shows mixed on-chain signals, with whales accumulating but social interest fading. Dogecoin (DOGE) active addresses are spiking, yet the price struggles to break $0.12. While both have loyal followings, neither offers the kind of utility that typically ...

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