Bitcoin miner MARA buys majority stake in AI data center firm Exaion

1 month ago

MARA Holdings has completed the acquisition of a bulk involvement successful French computing infrastructure relation Exaion, deepening its propulsion into artificial quality (AI) and unreality services.

The deal, archetypal agreed successful August 2025 with EDF Pulse Ventures, gives MARA France a 64% involvement successful Exaion aft required regulatory approvals were secured, the Bitcoin miner said successful a Friday announcement. French vigor elephantine EDF volition stay a number shareholder and proceed arsenic a lawsuit of the business.

The concern besides creates a broader alliance. NJJ Capital, the concern conveyance of telecom entrepreneur Xavier Niel, volition get a 10% involvement successful MARA France arsenic portion of a concern with MARA.

Governance of Exaion volition bespeak the caller ownership structure. The company’s committee volition see 3 representatives from MARA, 3 from EDF Pulse Ventures and 1 from NJJ, alongside Exaion’s main enforcement and co-founder. Niel and MARA CEO Fred Thiel volition some clasp seats connected the board.

Bitcoin miners pivot to AI amid pressure

Bitcoin mining companies are progressively turning to AI and information halfway computing arsenic unit connected mining economics grows. After the 2024 halving chopped artifact rewards and rising web trouble squeezed margins, respective publically traded miners began adopting a hybrid model, keeping mining arsenic a root of currency travel portion gathering steadier gross from AI unreality and high-performance computing services.

HIVE Digital Technologies is 1 illustration of the shift. The institution reported beardown results adjacent during weaker Bitcoin prices, supported by expanding AI operations. CoreWeave has also moved from crypto mining to go a large AI infrastructure supplier aft GPU mining request fell.

Other firms, including TeraWulf, Hut 8, IREN and MARA, are besides repurposing mining facilities and vigor capableness into AI information centers.

In November past year, CleanSpark announced plans to rise astir $1.13 billion successful nett proceeds, up to $1.28 cardinal if further notes are purchased, done a $1.15 cardinal elder convertible enactment offering to money enlargement of its Bitcoin mining and information halfway operations.

Bitcoin mining trouble jumps 15%

Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s mining trouble rose astir 15% to 144.4 trillion connected Friday, reversing an 11% driblet earlier successful the month, the steepest diminution since China’s 2021 mining ban. The earlier autumn followed terrible wintertime storms crossed the United States that disrupted powerfulness grids and temporarily forced galore miners offline, sharply reducing hash rate.

While the higher trouble reinforces Bitcoin’s security, it besides raises the computing effort needed to excavation caller blocks, adding further borderline unit connected operators already dealing with rising costs.

Magazine: Bitcoin whitethorn instrumentality 7 years to upgrade to post-quantum — BIP-360 co-author

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