Eightco Holdings shares surge 17.86% premarket after strategic partnership with Futurum Group to develop AI trust platform.

Eightco Holdings (NASDAQ:ORBS) surged 17.86% in premarket trading following the announcement of a strategic partnership with Futurum Group to develop the Futurum ORBS Trust and Authentication Platform (FOTAP). The platform, described as the first comprehensive AI trust scoring system, aims to evaluate AI providers on metrics like data governance, transparency, and ethical practices, targeting three revenue streams: enterprise trust intelligence, vendor certification, and investor trust scores. The collaboration positions Eightco to capitalize on the growing demand for AI accountability, with CEO Kevin O’Donnell emphasizing the initiative’s potential to address a critical market gap. The partnership, combined with the company’s board-approved $125 million share buyback program, appears to have driven investor optimism, despite ORBS’ broader 12-month decline. The stock’s premarket rally aligns with after-hours gains of 18.44% on Wednesday, reflecting strong market reaction to the strategic move.