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TeraWulf (WULF) - 2024 Q3 - Earnings Call Transcript
WULFTeraWulf (WULF)2024-11-13 04:05

Financial Data and Key Metrics - GAAP revenues decreased 24% QoQ to 27.1millioninQ32024from27.1 million in Q3 2024 from 35.6 million in Q2 2024 [19] - The company self-mined 442 Bitcoin at Lake Merida and had a net share of 113 Bitcoin from Nautilus, totaling 555 Bitcoin, a 21% decrease from 699 Bitcoin in Q2 2024 [19] - The average power cost per Bitcoin mined was 30,448inQ32024,upfrom30,448 in Q3 2024, up from 22,954 in Q2 2024 [22] - GAAP net loss attributable to common shareholders was 23.0millioninQ32024,comparedtoanetlossof23.0 million in Q3 2024, compared to a net loss of 11.2 million in Q2 2024 [26] - Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA was 6.0millioninQ32024,downfrom6.0 million in Q3 2024, down from 19.5 million in Q2 2024 [26] - The company held 24millionincashasofSeptember30,2024,withtotalassetsof24 million in cash as of September 30, 2024, with total assets of 405 million and total liabilities of 33million[26]BusinessLineDataandKeyMetricsThecompanysoldits2533 million [26] Business Line Data and Key Metrics - The company sold its 25% stake in the Nautilus Cryptomine joint venture for 92 million, achieving a 3.4x return on investment [9] - A new long-term ground lease at Lake Mariner increased total acreage by nearly 50%, from 107 acres to 157 acres, with exclusive rights to up to 750 megawatts of infrastructure capacity [10] - The company raised 500millionthroughanoversubscribedconvertiblebondofferinginOctober2024[12]A500 million through an oversubscribed convertible bond offering in October 2024 [12] - A 200 million stock buyback program was approved, with 115millionworthofsharesalreadyrepurchased[12]ThecosttomineBitcoinwasapproximately115 million worth of shares already repurchased [12] - The cost to mine Bitcoin was approximately 54,000 per Bitcoin in Q3 2024, among the industry's lowest [13] - The company ordered the latest Bitmain S21 Pro miners, expected to arrive by early Q1 2025, to boost mining efficiency [14] Market Data and Key Metrics - The company completed construction of a 2.5-megawatt proof-of-concept project in Q3 2024, with 20-megawatt CB-1 and 50-megawatt CB-2 data centers on schedule for Q1 and Q2 2025, respectively [15] - Advanced discussions with potential tenants for HPC hosting are ongoing, with the first HPC hosting partner expected to be announced before the end of 2024 [15] - The company is focusing on regions with abundant, low-cost, zero-carbon power, leveraging its Lake Merida facility's direct grid connection and robust energy infrastructure [16][17] Company Strategy and Industry Competition - The company is doubling down on its core strategy of leveraging low-cost, sustainable energy and operational excellence to thrive in the high-speed compute market [8][16] - Regulatory shifts around data centers at nuclear power plants have highlighted the challenges of securing large-scale carbon-free power, positioning the company's Lake Merida facility as a unique asset [17] - The company is targeting high-power compute customer contracts with one-year revenue prepays and expects to execute project financing for approximately 70% of the total project cost [30] Management Commentary on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - The company is confident in its approach, seeing the industry increasingly align with its core strengths of low-cost, sustainable energy and operational excellence [8] - The recent FERC ruling has intensified the scramble for power, with sites like Lake Mariner gaining more attention due to their access to power, land, and water [44][45] - The company expects to announce its first HPC hosting partner before the end of 2024 and is prepared to expand capacity with the right customer and contract terms [38][41] Other Important Information - The company incurred a loss of 2.7millioninequityofinvesteenetoftaxinQ32024,comparedtoincomeof2.7 million in equity of investee net of tax in Q3 2024, compared to income of 0.8 million in Q2 2024, reflecting its proportional share of the Nautilus joint venture's net loss [25] - The company expects to achieve a marginal cost of production of approximately 59,000inQ42024and59,000 in Q4 2024 and 47,000 in Q1 2025 [27] - Planned outages at Lake Mariner in mid-November 2024 will impact approximately 5.2 exahash of mining capacity for one week as the company connects ultra-high-voltage redundant power feeds [28] Q&A Session Summary Question: Capital expenditure details for CB-1 and CB-2 - The build cost for CB-1 is approximately 100million,or100 million, or 5 million per megawatt, while CB-2 is estimated at 250300million,or250-300 million, or 5.5 million per megawatt [35][36] Question: First HPC customer and contract structure - The company expects to announce one or two customers for the initial 72.5 megawatts of capacity before year-end, with advanced negotiations ongoing [38][41] Question: Demand environment and pricing trends - Pricing per kilowatt hour has increased marginally, with more parties prepared to meet the company's terms, particularly after the FERC ruling [43][44] Question: Project financing for HPC - The company feels confident about its ability to secure project financing without additional equity, leveraging one-year revenue prepays and existing infrastructure [46][50] Question: Future expansion and capital allocation - The company plans to provide 2025 guidance in February and will adjust expansion plans based on customer demand and market conditions [54][55] Question: Feedback on WULF Den proof of concept - Potential customers have visited the site and provided positive feedback, with discussions focusing on cooling solutions and operational details [76] Question: Regulatory environment and industry outlook - The company anticipates a cleaner regulatory environment under the new administration, which could facilitate faster project approvals and reduce operating burdens [79][80] Question: Redundant power and miner sales - Redundant power will primarily focus on HPC hosting buildings, with Bitcoin mining facilities requiring less redundancy [87][88] - The company sold the majority of miners from Nautilus for $10.5 million and is upgrading its fleet for greater efficiency [89] Question: Long-term demand for power capacity - The company sees significant growth in data center demand, driven by high-speed compute workloads, and is well-positioned to meet this demand with its existing infrastructure [93][94]