Core Scientific and CoreWeave Merger - Core Scientific shareholders rejected a $9 billion merger deal with CoreWeave due to insufficient votes for approval [1] - The merger was part of a trend among AI companies seeking power-rich infrastructure to support increasing computational demands [2] CoreWeave's Position and Financials - CoreWeave, backed by Nvidia, is an OpenAI partner providing AI infrastructure for advanced language model training [3] - CoreWeave secured a $6.3 billion order from Nvidia, which includes a commitment to purchase unsold capacity through April 2032 [3] Market Reaction - Following the merger rejection, CoreWeave's stock fell over 6% to close at $131.06, while Core Scientific's stock remained stable at $20.74 [4] Industry Context - Bitcoin mining has become increasingly complex and costly, leading miners to explore alternative fields such as AI [5] - Core Scientific shareholders felt the acquisition deal undervalued the company [6]

⚡️ UPDATE: Canaan will supply 4.5 MW of water-cooled Bitcoin miners to a Japanese firm.It'll help balance the power grid in real time by adjusting power use up or down. https://t.co/Q8L13hMvBm ...

Core Insights - Riot Platforms (RIOT) reported a surprising third-quarter profit of $104.5 million, or 26 cents per diluted share, compared to a loss of $154.4 million, or 54 cents, in the same quarter last year [1][2] - Revenue more than doubled to $180.2 million, primarily driven by a $93 million increase in bitcoin mining revenue, with the company mining 1,406 bitcoin at an average cost of $46,324 per coin [2][3] - The company's revenue growth was supported by a 6.4% increase in bitcoin prices during the quarter and enhanced operational capacity [3] Financial Performance - The net income of $104.5 million marks a significant turnaround from the previous year's loss [1] - The substantial revenue increase to $180.2 million reflects strong performance in bitcoin mining [2] - Riot recorded a $133 million mark-to-market gain on its bitcoin holdings, which totaled 19,287 BTC valued at approximately $2.2 billion as of September 30 [3][5] Operational Developments - Riot announced the initiation of 112 megawatts of core and shell development at its Corsicana, Texas data center campus, following successful land acquisition and design completion [4] - CEO Jason Les emphasized that these developments are crucial for transforming Riot into a large-scale, multifaceted data center operator leveraging its land and power assets [4]

Core Insights - Bitcoin's price has surged over 450% in the past three years, driven by factors such as peak interest rates, approval of spot price ETFs, and a halving event that reduced mining rewards [1][4] - Despite the overall rise in Bitcoin's price, leading miners Mara Holdings and Riot Platforms have underperformed, with Mara's stock increasing less than 50% and Riot's stock rising less than 240% during the same period [4][11] Company Background - Mara Holdings and Riot Platforms transitioned from their original business models to become Bitcoin mining companies, ordering thousands of dedicated miners [6][7] - Both companies have added mined Bitcoin to their balance sheets while also selling portions to generate cash, but they have issued more shares and taken on debt to finance their operations [7] Financial Position - As of September, Mara held 52,850 Bitcoins valued at approximately $6.1 billion, representing nearly two-thirds of its enterprise value of $9.5 billion, while Riot held 19,287 Bitcoins valued at about $2.2 billion, equating to nearly 30% of its enterprise value of $7.7 billion [8] - High electricity costs have significantly impacted revenue, exacerbated by geopolitical conflicts and inflation [9] Mining Challenges - The recent halving in 2024 has made it more difficult for miners to maintain production levels, slowing Bitcoin's supply growth and creating challenges for capital-intensive operations like those of Mara and Riot [10] - The ongoing need for constant investment in mining infrastructure and the volatility of energy costs make mining companies less attractive compared to direct Bitcoin investments or spot price ETFs [11] Future Considerations - There is potential for miners to pivot their operations towards processing machine learning and AI tasks, similar to CoreWeave's transition from Ethereum mining [12] - However, unless these companies significantly reduce their dependence on Bitcoin, any gains from diversification may be short-lived [12]

Core Insights - Artificial intelligence (AI) is identified as the greatest investment opportunity of the current era, with a strong emphasis on the urgent need for energy to support its growth [1][2][3] - A specific company is highlighted as a key player in the AI energy sector, owning critical energy infrastructure assets that are essential for meeting the increasing energy demands of AI technologies [3][7][8] Investment Landscape - Wall Street is investing hundreds of billions into AI, but there is a pressing concern regarding the energy supply needed to sustain this growth [2] - AI data centers, such as those powering large language models, consume energy equivalent to that of small cities, indicating a significant strain on global power grids [2] - The company in focus is positioned to capitalize on the rising demand for electricity, which is becoming the most valuable commodity in the digital age [3][8] Company Profile - The company is described as a "toll booth" operator in the AI energy boom, benefiting from tariffs and the onshoring trend driven by U.S. policies [5][6] - It possesses critical nuclear energy infrastructure assets and is capable of executing large-scale engineering, procurement, and construction projects across various energy sectors [7][8] - The company is debt-free and has a substantial cash reserve, equating to nearly one-third of its market capitalization, which positions it favorably compared to other energy firms burdened with debt [8][10] Market Position - The company also holds a significant equity stake in another AI-related venture, providing investors with indirect exposure to multiple growth opportunities without the associated premium costs [9][10] - It is trading at less than 7 times earnings, making it an attractive investment option in the AI and energy sectors [10][11] - The influx of talent into AI ensures continuous innovation, further solidifying the company's potential for growth in this rapidly evolving field [12][13] Future Outlook - The convergence of AI, energy infrastructure, and U.S. energy policies presents a unique investment opportunity, with projections of significant returns within the next 12 to 24 months [15][19] - The company is positioned to thrive amidst the disruption caused by AI, as traditional industries adapt to new technologies [11][12]

Legal Issues - A lawsuit has been filed by Joseph Soroka against multiple defendants, including Core Scientific, CoreWeave, and OpenAI, alleging catastrophic burn injuries from an explosion at a worksite in Denton, Texas [1][2] - The lawsuit claims that high-voltage transformers failed while being energized, resulting in an explosion that caused severe burns to Soroka [3] - Soroka is seeking over $1 million in damages for life-altering injuries, including severe burns and long-term disability, attributing negligence to the defendants for unsafe working conditions [3] Corporate Developments - Core Scientific's planned acquisition by CoreWeave has been terminated following a failed shareholder vote [4] - The company will now focus on developing up to 3.3 GW for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads [4]

Bitcoin miner Riot posts net income of $104.5 million in Q3, reversing previous quarter's losses https://t.co/nQll3lWPxZ ...

Core Insights - Riot Platforms, Inc. reported significant financial growth in Q3 2025, achieving record quarterly revenue of $180.2 million, a substantial increase from $84.8 million in Q3 2024, primarily driven by a $93.3 million rise in Bitcoin mining revenue [4][5] - The company produced 1,406 bitcoins in Q3 2025, up from 1,104 in the same period last year, while the average cost to mine a bitcoin increased to $46,324 from $35,376, influenced by a 52% rise in the average global network hash rate [5][6] - Riot's net income for the quarter was $104.5 million, or $0.26 diluted EPS, compared to a net loss of $154.4 million in Q3 2024, indicating a strong turnaround in profitability [11] Financial Performance - Total revenue reached $180.2 million, a 112% increase year-over-year, with Bitcoin mining revenue contributing $160.8 million, up from $67.5 million in Q3 2024 [5][11] - Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $197.2 million, including a $133.1 million gain on Bitcoin held on the balance sheet, showcasing robust operational performance [11] - The company maintained a strong financial position with $170.0 million in working capital, including $330.7 million in unrestricted cash [11] Operational Developments - Riot announced the initiation of core and shell development for two buildings at its Corsicana data center campus, representing 112 MW of critical IT capacity [2][4] - Key achievements in Q3 included acquiring an additional 67-acre parcel of land adjacent to the Corsicana site, completing the campus design, and building out the in-house data center team [2][3] - The company is focused on transforming into a large-scale, multi-faceted data center operator, leveraging its land and power assets to maximize value [3][8]

Data Center Development - Riot initiated core & shell development of the first two buildings at the Corsicana Data Center campus, representing 112 MW of critical IT load capacity[9] - Riot acquired an additional 67 acres of land adjacent to the Corsicana site for $40 million, simplifying the development of the full 1 GW of power capacity[17, 29] - The Corsicana site is planned to be developed over two phases, with Phase 1 providing 504 MW of total critical IT load capacity[32, 34] - Forecasted capital expenditures of $214 million over the next 18 months for the core & shell development of two buildings at Corsicana, representing $19 million per critical IT MW[37] Financial Performance - Riot Platforms reported total revenue of $180 million in Q3 2025, an 18% increase quarter-over-quarter[49] - Net income was $104 million, representing a 58% margin, with earnings per share of $026[49] - Adjusted EBITDA was $197 million, adjusted for non-cash and unusual items[49] - The net cost of power was 32 c/kWh, 16% lower than real-time prices in Load-Zone South[49] - Riot produced 1,406 BTC in Q3 2025, with a daily production of 153 BTC per day[51] - Riot held 19,287 BTC with a quarter-end value of $22 billion[51]

A planned merger between Bitcoin mining firm Core Scientific and artificial intelligence and cloud data center CoreWeave has been called off after a stockholder vote held on Oct. 30. According to the initial terms reported back in July, CoreWeave was slated to purchase Core Scientific in an all-stock deal for $20.40 per share at a total valuation of approximately $9 billion. Stockholders Reject Merger Deal According to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), CoreWeave did not receive the requis ...