Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang may step down, sparking concerns that the cryptocurrency market could see another wave of selling. Polymarket Traders' bets that he will resign or be removed from his position by the end of 2027 have risen to 89%.
According to the data from Polymarket on November 12th, traders estimated the probability of Jensen Huang leaving his position that day to be 60%. By November 13th, that probability increased to 64%, and by November 30th, it rose to 77%.
As of December 31, 2026, the contract probability was 82%, and by March 31, 2027, the market probability had increased to 87%. The total trading volume of these contracts was approximately 16.63 million US dollars, of which the trading amount for contracts in December 2026 was 4.67 million US dollars.
Rising expectations stem from reports that the board of directors of Nvidia is considering replacing Jensen Huang, with allegations involving two extramarital affairs, one of which has already drawn the attention of U.S. intelligence officials and legislators.
Nvidia The leadership crisis has affected the crypto-related markets
The uncertainty surrounding Jensen Huang has already affected the stock price of Nvidia, as well as the crypto platforms that offer exposure to that company's stocks.
On Wednesday, November 11th, following reports that the board of directors was preparing to discuss the future of this CEO, Nvidia's after-hours trading prices fell by about 8%.
Selling pressure also spread to the decentralized derivatives market. The Block reported that the Nvidia-related perpetual contracts on Hyperliquid once fell by as much as 10%.
The Nvidia stock token NVDAx issued through xStocks fell by about 9%, but then regained some of its losses, with the trading price approaching $159.51.
This reaction indicates that news related to major technology companies can now be directly transmitted to cryptocurrency trading platforms through tokenized stocks and stock-linked derivatives.
crypto.news Previous reports stated that decentralized exchanges dealing in real-world asset perpetual contracts recorded a trading volume of $365 billion in the third quarter of 2026.
Of this, stock-linked contracts account for approximately $175 billion, which is close to half of the total amount for the quarter.
Will Jensen Huang's departure drag down Bitcoin and the AI token?
If the uncertainty in the leadership of Nvidia leads to another decline in tech stocks and prompts investors to reduce their exposure to risky assets, Bitcoin may face new selling pressure.
A similar situation occurred on November 5th: after the mid-term elections in the United States, tech stocks weakened significantly, and Bitcoin fell by more than 6%, approaching $75,000.
On that day, the NASDAQ Composite Index fell by 5.5%, and the stock price of Nvidia dropped by more than 9%. Within 24 hours, leveraged crypto positions worth over $1 billion were liquidated.
Market analysts had previously warned of this correlation. Hilbert Group Chief Investment Officer Russell Thompson recently stated that if the decline in AI and semiconductor stocks forces investors to sell their crypto holdings to meet margin requirements, the potential downside target for Bitcoin could be $65,000.
Cryptocurrencies related to AI, including Bittensor ( TAO ), Render ( RENDER ), and Artificial Superintelligence Alliance ( FET ), may also face similar pressure if concerns about Nvidia dampen the sentiment in the artificial intelligence sector.
Companies among Bitcoin mining enterprises that continuously expand their AI infrastructure business may also face another type of risk exposure.
Some listed mining companies have shifted to AI computing power services. While reducing their reliance on revenue from crypto mining, they have secured infrastructure contracts worth over $70 billion.
If the investment in AI infrastructure continues to decline, it may affect market expectations for these businesses, especially those that rely on new data center protocols and financing.
Why is Nvidia considering replacing Jensen Huang?
This uncertainty in the leadership stems from a report by The New York Times on November 12th. The report claimed that Jensen Huang had an extramarital affair with Kimberly Powell, the vice president of health business at Nvidia.
According to the report, five people who used to work at Nvidia described this relationship to them; two of them stated that during the company's GTC conference in March this year, they saw two executives behaving closely at a hotel in San Jose.
63-year-old Jensen Huang and 48-year-old Powell are both married to others. Nvidia's code of conduct requires employees to avoid conflicts of interest involving personal relationships.
These allegations come after an earlier dispute. Previously, American intelligence officials allegedly identified a Chinese businessman Alice Huang as an intelligence asset working for Beijing.
The board of directors subsequently launched an investigation, which was led by the law firms of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen, and Katz.
Three Republican leaders of House committees have requested a closed-door briefing with Jensen Huang to discuss his contacts with Alice.
The Chinese side denied the espionage allegations.
Reuters reports that with the latest disclosures, the board of directors of Nvidia is preparing to consider Jensen Huang's future, and corporate governance and succession arrangements are also under review.
The next quarterly financial report for Nvidia is scheduled to be released on November 17th, and investors are expected to pay attention to the company's financial prospects and management team.
