Bitcoin Mining Stocks Jump as Riot Taps AMD, Texas Builds Grow

Group 1 - Riot Platforms signed a 10-year data center lease with AMD valued at $311 million, with potential expansion options that could increase the total to $1 billion, allowing for scalability up to 200 megawatts [1] - Galaxy Digital secured $460 million in new funding, in addition to a prior $1.4 billion loan, to expand its Helios campus in Texas to 3.5 gigawatts, with 800 megawatts already committed to AI firm CoreWeave [2] - The shift towards AI and high-performance computing allows miners to generate income independent of Bitcoin's price fluctuations, as they can rent power and data centers to AI clients [2] Group 2 - Bitcoin mining is becoming increasingly competitive, with rising hashrate leading to lower earnings for individual miners unless Bitcoin prices increase significantly [3] - Riot Platforms now controls approximately 1.7 gigawatts of power in Texas after selling around 1,080 BTC to fund its expansion, positioning itself more like a utility company with long-term contracts [4] - When mining firms maintain solvency during periods of stable Bitcoin prices, they tend to sell fewer coins on the market, which can reduce selling pressure over time [5]