UAE retail investors increased their exposure to AI-linked software, semiconductor firms, crypto-related equities and commercial space companies in the second quarter of 2026, according to new eToro data.
The trading and investing platform reviewed quarter-on-quarter changes in stock holders among funded UAE accounts. It also ranked the ten most widely held stocks among UAE-based users at the end of Q2 2026.
Meanwhile, the data shows that UAE investors kept buying growth themes despite sharp market swings. Wix.com, BitMine Immersion Technologies and Micron Technology led the list of stocks that gained the most new holders during the quarter.
UAE investors move deeper into AI stocks
Wix.com topped the Q2 risers list with a 139 percent increase in UAE holders on eToro. BitMine Immersion Technologies ranked second with a 75 percent rise, while Micron Technology came third with a 65 percent increase. Nike also rose 65 percent, followed by Alibaba at 56 percent.
The figures show that UAE investors did not only focus on the largest U.S. technology names. They also bought companies linked to the wider AI value chain. Wix gained attention through its AI app-building push with Base44, while ServiceNow stayed in the risers list for a second straight quarter after a 44 percent rise in holders.
AI infrastructure also remained a key theme. Micron benefited from investor interest in memory chips, while Broadcom ranked ninth after a 37 percent rise in holders. Both companies sit close to the data center buildout behind AI demand.
“UAE investors are digging deeper for opportunities instead of only chasing mega-cap names. Investors are looking at companies that enable the next phase of AI growth, from memory infrastructure to enterprise software,” said Nagham Hassan, Market Analyst at eToro MENA.
As previously reported by The Coin Headlines, AI infrastructure has remained a major market theme. Meta shares jumped after reports that the company planned to build a cloud business to sell excess AI computing power, giving investors another way to measure returns from AI spending.
BitMine gains as UAE investors buy the crypto dip
The crypto-linked part of the eToro data centered on BitMine Immersion Technologies. The company ranked second among the biggest risers, even as its share price fell more than 25 percent during the quarter. eToro said UAE investors used crypto weakness to add exposure to an Ethereum-linked treasury company.
BitMine remained in focus after its latest treasury update. In a July 6 statement, the company said its holdings reached 5,742,237 ETH, 206 Bitcoin and 527 million dollars in cash and marketable securities. It said total crypto, cash, marketable securities and “moonshots” reached 11.1 billion dollars.
The company also said its ETH holdings represented 4.8 percent of Ethereum’s 120.7 million token supply. As of July 5, BitMine said it had staked 4,879,157 ETH, with projected annual staking rewards of 277 million dollars at scale.
BitMine had already added 27,084 ETH during a market selloff in late June. That purchase lifted its holdings to around 5.7 million ETH at the time, while the company also held 206 Bitcoin and 555 million dollars in cash and other assets.
Other Ethereum treasury firms also bought during weakness. SharpLink added 10,000 ETH to its treasury, bringing its total ether holdings to 886,725 ETH as of June 28, 2026, as we reported.
At the same time, crypto sentiment in Q2 also faced pressure from policy noise and geopolitical risk. Iran-linked tensions weighed on risk assets earlier in the quarter, while crypto traders watched ETF flows, energy risk and broader market volatility.
In June, Bitcoin and major altcoins later rose after President Trump’s comments about an Iran deal. At press time, Ethereum traded near $1800, according to The Coin Headlines market data.
In addition, the U.S. policy debate also stayed in focus. In a Monday Fox News clip, President Donald Trump claimed the Biden administration became “totally pro-crypto” only after trailing him in the polls. He also described earlier enforcement actions as a “weaponization of government.”
BitMine’s rise among UAE holders came during that broader backdrop, where investors looked past short-term ETH weakness and added exposure to a corporate Ethereum treasury play.
Rocket Lab rises as commercial space draws attention
Commercial space also gained traction among UAE investors in Q2. Rocket Lab ranked sixth among the biggest risers, with a 46 percent jump in holders. eToro linked the move to renewed interest in the space sector during a quarter marked by SpaceX’s record IPO.
SpaceX’s post-IPO rally lifted its valuation to about 2.66 trillion dollars, pushing it above Amazon, as we reported last month. SpaceX shares closed at 201.80 dollars and rose further in post-market trading after options trading opened.
Moreover, SpaceX priced its IPO at 135 dollars per share and raised 75 billion dollars, before underwriters lifted total proceeds to 85.7 billion dollars. Demand from BlackRock, Gulf sovereign investors and retail buyers helped bring commercial space into the market spotlight.
Rocket Lab gives public market investors another way to gain exposure to spacecraft manufacturing and commercial space activity. Its rise in UAE holders suggests investors looked beyond AI and crypto for other growth themes tied to technology, infrastructure and long-term capital spending.
Top holdings stay steady as investors rotate
The fallers list showed a different pattern. Sezzle led the declines with an 89 percent drop in holders. Gorilla Technology Group fell 76 percent, Okta dropped 71 percent and Zeta Global declined 60 percent. Hims & Hers Health, UnitedHealth, Oracle, Chevron, Super Micro Computer and BioMarin Pharmaceutical also appeared among the biggest fallers.
Hassan said the fallers list showed “repositioning than retreat.” She noted that some of the steepest holder declines came in names that had performed well during the quarter. That suggests investors took profits and moved capital into other themes.
The most-held ranking remained stable. Nvidia stayed in first place among UAE users on eToro. Microsoft climbed from fourth to second after an 11 percent rise in holders. Amazon moved from second to third, while Tesla slipped from third to fourth. Apple held fifth place.
Meta, Alphabet and Strategy held sixth, seventh and eighth place. Alibaba climbed from twelfth to ninth, matching its place among the quarter’s risers. Nio ranked tenth, down one place from Q1.
The eToro data covers funded UAE accounts and compares positions at the end of Q2 2026 with the end of Q1 2026. The platform said most stock positions on eToro are real assets and that the top-held stock data does not include CFD positions.
