The9 Reports Record Quarterly Profit Driven by Digital Assets
The9 Limited reported its strongest quarter historically, with a net income of $23 million for the period ending March 31, 2026. The result was fueled by significant digital asset-related income and growth from its AI-powered game creation platform.
SHANGHAI – The9 Limited (Nasdaq: NCTY) today announced its most profitable quarter since its 2004 IPO, reporting a net income of US$23 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026. The record results were driven by substantial income from digital assets and accelerated adoption of its AI-powered game creation platform, the9bit.
The company's net income was primarily boosted by the receipt of 1.425 billion 9BIT tokens during the quarter, valued at their fair market price. An additional 475 million tokens were received in April, which will contribute to the second quarter's results. The9's total cryptocurrency holdings, including BTC and 9BIT, are currently valued at approximately US$110 million.
The9bit platform, launched in August 2025, has surpassed 8 million registered users who have created over 110,000 games using its AI-assisted tools. The platform aims to lower development barriers by enabling creators to transform ideas and digital assets into playable games, expanding The9's content offerings.
Looking ahead, The9 is developing the9bit into an AI-native operating system for interactive entertainment. This system integrates AI agents and development workflows to streamline production, with the objective of enabling playable experiences in as little as 10 minutes. The company anticipates that this capability will continuously enhance its competitive advantage as proprietary data accumulates and the platform's intelligence layer strengthens.
Incentive plans have been approved for senior management, potentially awarding them up to 12% of the company's outstanding shares. These awards are contingent upon achieving higher quarterly net income in the remaining quarters of 2026 compared to the first quarter, signaling management's confidence in sustained profitability and long-term value creation.