Better AI Infrastructure Stock: IREN vs. Applied Digital

By Rick Orford – Mar 12, 2026 at 11:00AM ESTIREN (IREN 4.31%) is transforming from a crypto-mining company into a major AI infrastructure platform. But as Applied Digital (APLD 4.24%) emerges as a competitor, investors are watching closely to see which strategy ultimately wins. Stock prices used were the market prices of March 6, 2026. The video was published on March 11, 2026. Read NextMar 10, 2026 •By Billy DubersteinWhy IREN Limited Plunged Over 20% in FebruaryMar 9, 2026 •By Marc Guberti3 Millionaire-Maker Artificial Intelligence (AI) StocksMar 6, 2026 •By Marc GubertiGot $5,000? 3 Top Growth Stocks to Buy That Could Double Your Money.Feb 18, 2026 •By Will HealyCantor Fitzgerald Loads Up 3.33 Million IREN SharesFeb 11, 2026 •By Marc GubertiIs Iren Stock Your Ticket to Becoming a Millionaire?Feb 6, 2026 •By Howard SmithWhy Iren Stock Crashed This WeekAbout the AuthorRick is a Wall Street Journal best-selling author with over 20 years of experience trading stocks and options. The most authoritative publications, including Good Morning America, Washington Post, Yahoo Finance, MSN, Business Insider, NBC, FOX, CBS, and ABC News, cover his work. His passion is business, and he works tirelessly to deliver content in an easy-to-understand manner. In 2018, Rick wrote The Financially Independent Millennial to inspire his readers with his story about becoming financially independent at age 35 despite not learning about money when he was younger. His books are easy to read and often refer to key points that “He would tell his younger self.” When not thinking about business, Rick writes (mainly about cruise ship travel) for his travel blog and is an enthusiast of fast cars, technology, & cooking.CMFrickorfordStocks MentionedIrenNASDAQ: IREN$40.16(-4.33%)-$1.82Applied DigitalNASDAQ: APLD$26.89(-5.71%)-$1.63*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.