The Motley Fool·2025-12-10 20:26Core Viewpoint - Iren's recent $9.7 billion contract with Microsoft marks a significant shift towards AI data centers, but the company's heavy reliance on Bitcoin mining poses serious risks to its existing business model [3][5][10]. Company Overview - Iren has experienced explosive revenue growth of 750% over the past three years, resulting in a stock price increase of 3,360% [2]. - The company primarily operates data centers, selling computing capacity, and has shifted focus from Bitcoin mining to AI data centers [2][3]. Financial Highlights - The new contract with Microsoft is expected to expand Iren's hardware backbone to 140,000 GPUs, potentially increasing the annualized revenue run rate to $3.4 billion, compared to $685 million in total revenue over the past four quarters [3]. - Iren's market capitalization stands at $13 billion, with a current stock price of $44.46 [4]. Business Risks - Bitcoin mining accounted for 97% of Iren's revenue in the most recent quarter, making the company vulnerable to the volatility of cryptocurrency prices [7]. - Historical data shows that Bitcoin's price has declined by over 60% multiple times, and it has fallen nearly 30% from its all-time high since early October [8]. - A prolonged downturn in Bitcoin prices could significantly impact Iren's cash flow and hinder its AI expansion plans [10]. Competitive Landscape - Equinix, a leading data center REIT, is highlighted as a more stable investment alternative, benefiting from AI demand without the need for costly GPU investments [11][12]. - Equinix operates 273 data centers globally and plans to double its capacity by 2029, with annualized gross bookings increasing by 25% year over year [12].