Bitcoin Miners Face Worst Profit Crisis Ever — Giants are Turning Off Rigs and Chasing Bigger Money in AI

Core Insights - Bitcoin miners are experiencing severe economic challenges, with mining revenue dropping to unsustainable levels due to falling Bitcoin prices and high network difficulty [1][4][6] - A significant number of miners are transitioning from Bitcoin mining to AI compute hubs, driven by better return profiles [2][8] Industry Overview - Bitcoin's hashprice has reached an all-time low, falling below $35 per petahash, indicating a critical profitability crisis for miners [3][10] - The profitability of Bitcoin mining has plummeted, leading many operators to shut down their rigs or repurpose their facilities for AI [4][5] Market Dynamics - Despite a decrease in Bitcoin prices, mining difficulty remains high, resulting in miners expending more energy for reduced rewards, creating a historic profitability crunch [6][7] - Miners have been liquidating their Bitcoin reserves rapidly, with 30,000 BTC sold in just 48 hours, marking one of the fastest liquidation events of the year [6] Strategic Shifts - Major mining firms, such as Bitfarms, are pivoting towards AI, with plans to convert significant portions of their mining capacity into AI infrastructure by 2027 [9] - AI workloads are reported to generate 2–5 times more revenue per kilowatt-hour compared to Bitcoin mining, making the transition appealing [11]