Nvidia Futures Drop 3.8% After Jensen Huang Investigation Announcement

Perpetual futures on shares of the American graphics processor manufacturer Nvidia (NVDA) fell by 3.8% over 24 hours on November 8, 2026, following reports of an investigation into CEO Jensen Huang. According to The Block, by 10:10 PM US Eastern Time, NVDA-USDC contracts on the decentralized trading platform Hyperliquid were priced at $180.50, with a daily trading volume reaching $170 million.

The decline began around 4:00 PM, after which the contract price dropped to a local low of $178.10 and partially recovered. These are perpetual futures, allowing trading of an instrument linked to Nvidia's stock value without owning the actual shares.

Nvidia investigates reports of possible intelligence operation

On November 8, Nvidia's board of directors announced the start of an independent investigation following publications suggesting that Jensen Huang might have been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. The investigation will be conducted by a committee of independent directors with the involvement of external legal advisors.

The trigger was a publication by The New York Times about Huang's alleged connection with Chinese entrepreneur Alice Huang. According to a service document described by the newspaper, circulated among American officials, she was allegedly recruited by China's Ministry of State Security to gather information on Nvidia's leader. These claims are not established results of the company's investigation.

Nvidia emphasized that the board has no reason to believe that US national security or the company's confidential information has been compromised.

In an address to employees, Jensen Huang admitted to marital infidelity and apologized to his family and colleagues. He also expressed his willingness to cooperate with the independent investigation. A Nvidia representative told The Block, that Huang will continue to fulfill his duties as CEO without interruption.

Analysts assessed market reaction

In prediction markets, participants also assessed the likelihood of a change in Nvidia's leadership. On Polymarket, the probability of Huang leaving by December 31, 2026, was 16%, and on Kalshi, the probability of his departure by January 1, 2028, was estimated at 18%. These figures relate to different timeframes and reflect the assessments of market participants, not established probabilities of the event.

Dan Hoos, chief analyst at research company LVRG Research, linked the decline in Nvidia futures to a reduction in investors' risk appetite. In his assessment, the drop could have been exacerbated by leveraged positions.

Rick Maeda, head of market direction at analytical company Laevitas, noted that during the closure of the main US stock market, perpetual futures on cryptocurrency platforms became one of the available tools for assessing investor reaction. At the same time, limited liquidity could have increased the amplitude of fluctuations.

Dominic John, an analyst at Zeus Research, pointed out the strengthening of short-term negative sentiments and the increase in positions aimed at price decline. In his opinion, excessive concentration of such positions could create conditions for a reverse movement if the US stock market stabilizes.

Amid these events, Bitcoin (BTC) fell by 0.8% to $75,113, while Ether (ETH) lost 4.2%, dropping to $2,140. Meanwhile, futures on the S&P 500 index gained 0.6%, and on the Nasdaq 100 – 0.7%.

At the time of publication, the results of Nvidia's investigation had not been announced. The company has not reported any detected leaks of confidential data or changes in the CEO's authority.