MARA Shares Rise After Bitcoin Miner Strikes AI Data Center Deal
MARA Holdings, a leading U.S. Bitcoin miner, announced a partnership with Starwood Property Trust to convert select U.S. Bitcoin mining sites into hyperscale data centers focused on enterprise and AI workloads. The joint effort targets sites with low-cost power and strong grid access, aiming to support both Bitcoin mining and AI compute, allowing for operational flexibility based on market demand. Starwood will lead development, tenant sourcing, and financing, while MARA can retain 10-50% equity in each project. The market responded positively, with MARA shares rising up to 16% in after-hours trading. Analysts noted the strategic shift diversifies MARA’s revenue potential beyond Bitcoin mining, though significant AI-related income depends on securing tenant leases and finalizing infrastructure plans. No AI-specific contracts have been disclosed yet, so short-term earnings are still tied primarily to Bitcoin mining. Long-term financial impact will depend on MARA’s ability to attract enterprise clients and efficiently allocate power between mining and AI.
