Zhi Tong Cai Jing·2025-10-19 23:59Core Viewpoint - The valuation logic of Bitcoin mining companies is changing as they transition into AI computing service providers, leading to a divergence in stock performance compared to Bitcoin itself [1][3]. Group 1: Market Trends - Major computing companies are shifting towards a hybrid model centered on artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, resulting in their stocks outperforming Bitcoin [1]. - Despite a recent downturn in the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin has seen a 14% increase in 2025, nearing its historical high of approximately $126,000 earlier this month [1]. - A fund tracking publicly listed mining companies has surged over 150% this year, indicating a shift in perception towards these companies as technology infrastructure providers rather than traditional miners [1]. Group 2: Company Transformations - Companies like Cipher Mining Inc. and IREN Ltd. have transitioned from solely Bitcoin mining to AI infrastructure, with their stock prices increasing by approximately 300% and 500% respectively this year [3]. - Cipher Mining signed a 10-year, $3 billion hosting agreement with Fluidstack, highlighting the blurring lines between crypto mining and AI computing [3]. - Bitdeer Technologies Group's stock rose nearly 30% after announcing plans to convert its mining facilities into AI data centers, potentially generating over $2 billion in annual revenue by the end of 2026 [4]. Group 3: Profitability and Market Dynamics - The profitability of Bitcoin miners is at historical lows, exacerbated by the halving event that reduced mining rewards and increased network difficulty [5]. - Analysts indicate that the focus is shifting from increasing hash rates to optimizing energy utilization, as companies like Riot Platforms Inc., IREN, and Bitfarms signal a pause in hash rate expansion [5]. - The revenue and EBITDA margins from high-performance computing and AI hosting are significantly higher than those from traditional mining operations, leading to a higher valuation for AI-focused data centers [6].