Bitcoin mining stock prices plummet, extend last week’s selloff

Market Performance - Bitcoin mining stock prices experienced significant declines, with major companies like Bitfarms down by 27.1% and Hut 8 by 25.2% on a single day [2] - Despite the recent selloff, bitcoin mining stocks are still up on a monthly basis, with most companies showing double-digit increases [3] Industry Trends - The decline in stock prices follows a period of rapid growth as companies explore AI and high-performance computing (HPC) business lines [4] - Core Scientific is leading the AI race among bitcoin miners and is awaiting a shareholder vote on a proposed all-stock merger with CoreWeave [5] Competitive Landscape - Companies like IREN, TeraWulf, Hive, and Cipher Mining are emerging as strong competitors by forming partnerships with AI tenants or developing their own cloud computing capabilities [5] - Other firms, including Bitfarms, Riot, Bitdeer, and CleanSpark, are also establishing AI business lines but lack significant cornerstone deals [6] Fundraising Efforts - The transition to AI-focused operations is costly, prompting aggressive fundraising efforts; TeraWulf recently closed a $3.2 billion secured note, the largest for a bitcoin miner, while Bitfarms secured a $588 million convertible note [7] Analyst Ratings - JonesResearch has issued hold ratings for Cipher, IREN, MARA, and CleanSpark, while buy ratings were given to Hut 8, TeraWulf, and Riot, driven by positive sentiment around AI infrastructure development [8]