Crypto mining stocks rise to the sky, becoming a "lever" for investing in Bitcoin

Shares of crypto mining companies have seen outstanding gains this year, indicating that investors are viewing these as leveraged bets on Bitcoin.

According to data from The Block, although the price of Bitcoin has only increased by about 65% in the past 12 months, the stocks of Riot Blockchain and Hut 8 Mining have risen by 110% and 211% respectively. This trend reflects market expectations that go beyond Bitcoin price fluctuations, including improved operational performance, capacity expansion, and revenue diversification.

The shift towards artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing infrastructure (HPC) is also a factor attracting interest. Many mining companies have leveraged existing infrastructure to deploy AI services, creating an additional stable revenue stream independent of Bitcoin prices. JPMorgan noted that expanding into AI allows mining businesses to have higher and less volatile profit margins compared to traditional Bitcoin mining activities.

In addition, mining stocks also benefit from the demand to access Bitcoin through the stock investment channel, especially for institutions that are restricted from holding Bitcoin directly.

The total market capitalization of companies holding Bitcoin is currently around 129 billion USD, including new names such as American Bitcoin Corp — a joint venture between the Trump family and Hut 8 Mining, where Hut 8 owns 80% and the Trump family holds 20%.

This model that combines mining and holding Bitcoin is becoming a new trend, attracting both crypto investors and traditional investors.