Connect with us
DAPA Banner

Crypto World

CleanSpark Sells 553 BTC for $36.6M in February as Miners Dump Bitcoin

Published

on

Crypto Breaking News

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) miners faced a dual dynamic in February: cash-flow optimization through asset sales alongside aggressive capacity expansion to support AI-enabled data-center workloads. CleanSpark reported selling 553 BTC from its February production for roughly $36.6 million while mining 568 BTC during the month. By month-end, the company held 13,363 BTC in treasury and had just closed a second Texas campus that adds 300 megawatts of ERCOT-approved power capacity, broadening its footprint in a grid operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. CleanSpark’s deployed fleet tallied 235,588 mining machines, delivering a peak hashrate of 50 EH/s and averaging 43.2 EH/s, underscoring the industry’s push toward scale to support denser, power-hungry operations.

Year-to-date, the miner reported 1,141 BTC produced through February, with 1,086 BTC of its holdings posted as collateral or receivable in connection with derivatives transactions, illustrating how mining revenue is increasingly hedged to manage price volatility and financing risk. The company framed this as part of a broader strategy to monetize power-dense assets beyond traditional crypto mining, aligning with a trend among miners to repurpose infrastructure for AI-friendly workloads and high-performance computing, as noted in industry analyses linked to the sector’s evolving business model.

As of the filing, CleanSpark’s stock was down about 7.5% on the day, while the sector-tracking CoinShares Bitcoin Mining ETF (EXCHANGE: WGMI) was down 6.4%, reflecting a broader risk-off tone in crypto equities on the publication date.

Miners sell off Bitcoin in 2026

CleanSpark is not alone in liquidating portions of its Bitcoin holdings to fund infrastructure expansion and AI-oriented data-center projects. Riot Platforms disclosed that it sold 1,818 BTC in December for about $161.6 million as part of a strategy to monetize energy and data-center assets while supporting AI workloads; the company reported holdings of 18,005 BTC as of Dec. 31, down from 19,368 BTC a month earlier, after producing 460 BTC during December. The move highlighted a broader shift across the sector toward leveraging hardware and data-center capacity for non-cryptocurrency applications.

Advertisement

In February, Bitdeer confirmed it liquidated its entire corporate Bitcoin treasury, producing 189.8 BTC during the period and selling the full amount along with an additional 943.1 BTC drawn from its existing reserves. The scale of these sales illustrates a mounting effort among miners to fund ongoing expansions and diversify revenue streams amid tight capital conditions and rising power costs.

Meanwhile, Core Scientific reported during its fourth-quarter earnings call on March 2 that it sold roughly 1,900 BTC for about $175 million in January, reducing its holdings to fewer than 1,000 BTC. In a separate move, the company announced a $500 million credit facility from Morgan Stanley to finance infrastructure capable of supporting high-density computing workloads, including AI and high-performance computing (HPC). The financing underscores how mining companies are increasingly balancing productive capacity with strategic investments in AI-ready data-center capabilities to capture new demand streams.

On the speculative front, MARA Holdings, the second-largest corporate Bitcoin treasury holder with 53,822 BTC, faced chatter about potential sales of its reserves. However, MARA’s investor-relations vice president, Robert Samuels, pushed back on X, saying the treasury strategy remained intact and unchanged. The market will be watching whether this resilience holds as macro conditions, energy prices, and the evolving regulatory landscape shape miners’ treasury management decisions in the months ahead.

Across the industry, the emphasis on powering AI and HPC workloads is driving a broader redefinition of mining infrastructure. Operators are pursuing power-dense facilities, optimized cooling, and robust electrical grids to support large-scale data processing, while balancing the volatility of Bitcoin prices with hedging strategies and longer-term capital investments. The tension between selling to fund growth and preserving Bitcoin holdings for balance-sheet resilience remains a central theme for miners navigating 2026’s mixed liquidity environment and the ongoing wave of AI-driven demand for compute power.

Advertisement

Why it matters

February’s disclosures paint a picture of miners simultaneously expanding physical footprints and trimming balance-sheet exposure through cash sales. The rapid deployment of additional Texas capacity, alongside continued production, demonstrates the sector’s commitment to scale despite a volatile price backdrop. For investors, the mix of reported BTC production, treasury holdings, and collateralized positions signals an industry that is increasingly integrating mining with broader data-center strategies and AI-capable operations, potentially affecting long-term profitability and cash-flow stability.

The trend toward monetizing dense data-center capacity beyond traditional mining could alter the competitive landscape. As AI and HPC workloads demand reliable, cost-efficient electricity and cooling, miners with expansive power portfolios may gain leverage in power markets and grid interactions. This could influence not just individual company valuations but also the resilience of crypto mining as a capital-intensive, infrastructure-driven business model, particularly in states like Texas where regulatory and market frameworks continue to evolve to accommodate large-scale digital infrastructure.

From a market structure perspective, the activity underscores the close relationship between crypto cycles, energy markets, and financial hedging. The fact that several operators are combining asset sales with debt facilities and non-crypto revenue streams indicates a maturing sector that is learning to weather volatility by diversifying revenue and stabilizing capital expenditure. For builders and developers, the move toward AI-ready data centers signals opportunities to repurpose existing sites or accelerate new builds in power-rich regions, while for regulators, it raises considerations about grid reliability, energy pricing, and the environmental footprint of intensive compute operations.

What to watch next

  • CleanSpark’s next quarterly and monthly updates to confirm ongoing production volumes, treasury changes, and any further capacity additions in Texas.
  • Public disclosures from Riot Platforms, Bitdeer, and Core Scientific on their 2026 treasury strategy, financing arrangements, and any additional asset sales or hedging activities.
  • The utilization and performance of Morgan Stanley’s $500 million facility at Core Scientific, including milestones for deploying AI/HPC workloads on new infrastructure.
  • Industry-wide capacity additions beyond 300 MW Texas expansions and any regulatory developments affecting energy-intensive mining and data-center operations in ERCOT and other jurisdictions.
  • BTC price trajectories and macro liquidity conditions that influence mining profitability, treasury management, and investor sentiment toward mining equities and related ETFs.

Sources & verification

  • CleanSpark February 2026 operational update detailing BTC production and treasury changes, including 13,363 BTC in treasury and 300 MW Texas campus expansion.
  • ERCOT and Texas campus capacity information corroborating the 300 MW expansion and grid context.
  • Riot Platforms’ December 2025 sale of 1,818 BTC for about $161.6 million and holdings of 18,005 BTC as of Dec 31, plus 460 BTC produced in December.
  • Bitdeer’s February 2026 liquidation of its entire corporate treasury and 189.8 BTC produced, plus 943.1 BTC sold from reserves.
  • Core Scientific’s January 2026 sale of approximately 1,900 BTC for $175 million and the announcement of a $500 million Morgan Stanley facility to fund AI/HPC infrastructure.
  • MARA Holdings’ balance-sheet context and public comments from Robert Samuels on X addressing treasury strategy.

Bitcoin miners expand capacity as cashing out accelerates in 2026

Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Crypto World

Ripple Says Stablecoins Will Drive Enterprise Crypto Adoption

Published

on

Crypto Breaking News

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse framed stablecoins as the crypto sector’s potential “ChatGPT moment” for enterprise payments, arguing that faster, more efficient settlements could accelerate real-world adoption among large corporations. In an interview with FOX Business on Friday, he said boards of directors and chief financial officers at Fortune 500 and Fortune 2000 companies are already asking treasurers how stablecoins could fit into their operations, signaling a shift from experimentation to formal strategy.

Garlinghouse described the move as an “unlock” for corporate finance, arguing that giving treasurers a credible on-chain settlement option could accelerate the broader adoption of blockchain-enabled services. He suggested stablecoins could serve as an entry point to a wider ecosystem of digital-asset tools used by enterprises, beyond just payments.

Bloomberg Intelligence has projected that stablecoin payment flows could grow at roughly an 80% compound annual rate to about $56.6 trillion by 2030, underscoring the potential scale if regulation and infrastructure align with demand.

Garlinghouse also highlighted the sheer volumes already moving through stablecoins. He noted that last year stablecoins processed more than $33 trillion in trading volume, with nearly 90% of that activity coming from Tether’s USDt (USDT) and Circle’s USDC, illustrating the current concentration of liquidity in a small handful of assets.

Advertisement

Ripple’s foray into the stablecoin space includes RLUSD, a competitor stablecoin launched in December 2024. CoinGecko data shows RLUSD stands as the 10th-largest stablecoin by market cap, with about $1.4 billion in circulation.

Beyond stablecoins themselves, Garlinghouse highlighted Ripple’s broader push to bolster payments infrastructure through strategic acquisitions. The company bought Hidden Road, an institutional-focused prime brokerage, for $1.25 billion and GTreasury, a corporate treasury platform, for $1 billion. He said the acquisitions have helped Ripple enter a “record quarter” and that the firm has been “on a tear” since closing these deals.

Key takeaways

  • Enterprises are increasingly viewing stablecoins as a payments enabler, with senior executives pressing treasurers to outline deployment plans.
  • Global stablecoin trading volume last year exceeded $33 trillion, with about 90% concentrated in USDT and USDC, underscoring existing liquidity leadership.
  • Ripple operates RLUSD, launched in December 2024, now ranking 10th among stablecoins by market cap at roughly $1.4 billion (per CoinGecko).
  • Ripple’s acquisitions of Hidden Road ($1.25 billion) and GTreasury ($1 billion) are positioned to bolster enterprise payments and treasury management capabilities.
  • Regulatory context matters: the CLARITY Act could accelerate crypto adoption if enacted, but policymakers must avoid weaponizing policy for political ends, according to Garlinghouse.
  • Bloomberg Intelligence foresees stablecoin flows reaching $56.6 trillion by 2030, highlighting the potential scale of enterprise demand.

Stablecoins as a corporate catalyst

The conversation around stablecoins increasingly centers on real-world corporate utility. Garlinghouse framed the narrative around a critical shift: boards and CFOs are evaluating how stablecoins could streamline treasury operations, enable faster cross-border settlements, and unlock a broader set of blockchain-based services for their organizations. In this view, stablecoins are less about speculative trading and more about providing a practical, on-chain settlement layer that can integrate with existing financial workflows.

The enterprise lens also emphasizes risk management and liquidity considerations. Real-time settlements and improved cash visibility could reduce foreign exchange exposure and nested settlement delays that plague traditional cross-border payments. While these advantages exist in theory, they hinge on reliable rails, robust custody, compliance, and interoperability with conventional banking rails—a set of criteria Ripple has sought to address through its product suite and partnerships.

Ripple’s push to enterprise infrastructure

RLUSD represents Ripple’s commitment to building a native stablecoin option within its payments ecosystem. Launched in late 2024, RLUSD has quickly become a test case for how corporate users might leverage stablecoins to settle obligations on Ripple’s rails. According to CoinGecko, RLUSD ranks among stablecoins with a $1.4 billion market cap, placing it in the top tier of on-chain stablecoins by liquidity and size.

Advertisement

Concurrently, Ripple’s strategic acquisitions broaden the toolkit available to enterprises. Hidden Road provides institutional-grade prime brokerage capabilities, potentially easing access to liquidity and trading infrastructure for large clients. GTreasury, a corporate treasury management platform, adds cross-functional treasury tools, enabling better visibility and control over digital-asset holdings within corporate finance operations. Garlinghouse said these acquisitions have strengthened Ripple’s trajectory, contributing to what he described as a “record quarter.”

Taken together, the RLUSD initiative and the strengthened payments backbone position Ripple to offer a more complete enterprise solution: on-chain settlement via stablecoins, coupled with governance, liquidity, and treasury management tools designed for large organizations. For investors and users watching adoption curves, the question is how quickly these capabilities translate into tangible enterprise uptake and steady revenue streams for Ripple and its partners.

Regulatory context and market outlook

The regulatory backdrop remains a pivotal variable in the trajectory of stablecoins and enterprise crypto adoption. Garlinghouse emphasized the potential impact of market-structure legislation such as the CLARITY Act, arguing that Congress could push the sector forward if crafted with clarity and sound policy. He warned against policymakers weaponizing regulation for political ends and urged a measured approach that protects the United States’ competitive standing while fostering innovation.

The broader market context underscores why this regulatory moment matters. The ongoing debate around stablecoin disclosures, reserve standards, and liquidity requirements will influence whether corporate treasuries view stablecoins as a reliable part of their long-term liquidity strategy. As policymakers weigh risk controls and consumer protections, the ability for enterprises to adopt stablecoins at scale will hinge on clear, consistent rules and interoperable infrastructure that can withstand institutional scrutiny.

Advertisement

Looking ahead, the market will be watching how the CLARITY Act progresses through Congress and how Ripple, RLUSD, and related infrastructure adapt to any regulatory requirements. The combination of a strong enterprise narrative, improving payments infrastructure, and a favorable regulatory framework could accelerate corporate engagement with stablecoins, while lingering ambiguities or policy missteps could slow momentum.

Ultimately, the next phase of enterprise crypto adoption will hinge on demonstrated use cases, governance reliability, and the ability to deliver on real-world efficiency gains. For investors and builders, the key watch points are enterprise interest in RLUSD and Ripple’s broader treasury-management story, regulatory developments around stablecoins, and the degree to which large corporations actually embed stablecoins into their treasury operations and payment workflows.

As policymakers deliberate and corporates experiment, the landscape will reveal whether this era’s “ChatGPT moment” translates into durable, enterprise-grade crypto infrastructure and a measurable shift in how businesses move value across borders.

Watch for updates on CLARITY Act progress, RLUSD adoption by enterprises, and any new milestones from Ripple’s expanding payments ecosystem in the coming quarters.

Advertisement

Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Crypto World

Stablecoins Will Be Crypto’s “ChatGPT Moment,” Says Ripple

Published

on

Stablecoins Will Be Crypto’s "ChatGPT Moment," Says Ripple

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said stablecoins will be the crypto sector’s “ChatGPT moment” for businesses in search of faster, more efficient payments, and that many companies are already discussing and strategizing how to implement stablecoins into their operations.

“You have boards of directors and CEOs of companies, whether it’s Fortune 500 or Fortune 2000, they’re asking their treasurers, they’re asking their CFOs, hey, what are we doing with stablecoins,” Garlinghouse told FOX Business on Friday.

“Giving the treasurer and the CFO that option is the unlock,” he said. 

Garlinghouse said this unlock would be “the ChatGPT moment of crypto” because it would be the entry point for businesses to access a broader range of blockchain-based services. 

Advertisement
Garlinghouse speaking with FOX Business on Friday. Source: FOX Business

Bloomberg Intelligence predicted in early January that stablecoin flows could increase at a compounded annual growth rate of 80% to $56.6 trillion by 2030, a rise that would make stablecoins one of the most important payment tools in global finance.

Garlinghouse noted that stablecoins processed more than $33 trillion in trading volume last year, though nearly 90% of that came from Tether’s USDt (USDT) and Circle’s USDC (USDC).

Ripple launched a competitor stablecoin — Ripple USD (RLUSD) — in December 2024, which is currently the 10th largest stablecoin by market cap at $1.4 billion, CoinGecko data shows.