Some Bitcoin mining rigs to close down amid value weak point, says BTIG

The newest halving, which slashed the block reward from 6.25 BTC to three.125 BTC, has compelled much less environment friendly mining rigs offline as miner revenues dropped to ranges equal to a Bitcoin value of round $30,000, BTIG mentioned in a analysis report on Wednesday. 

Transaction charges, which spiked to about $128 instantly following the halving, have since stabilized again to the $3-$4 vary. Bitcoin value stays comparatively steady post-halving, averaging roughly $63,000, which represents a forty five% improve year-to-date, BTIG notes.

That mentioned, world hash charges have decreased by about 6% from April’s common of 624 EH to 585 EH within the first two weeks of Could. This decline was anticipated to be between 5%-10% as much less environment friendly mining rigs – these with efficiencies over 35 J/TH – unplugged. 

A extra important drop in hash price might happen if Bitcoin costs decline additional. Most public miners have money breakevens within the $20,000-$40,000 vary per Bitcoin, the report says.

Earlier this 12 months, a number of U.S.-listed miners diminished Bitcoin gross sales used to fund operations, opting as an alternative to make use of fairness for progress. 

“Many miners constructed their BTC inventories forward of the halving,” famous BTIG, including that Riot Platforms (NASDAQ:), Cleanspark (NASDAQ:), and Cipher Mining (NASDAQ:) offered solely a small share of their Q1 2024 manufacturing, materially lower than the 80-90% common in 2023. In distinction, Core Scientific Inc (NASDAQ:) and Bitdeer Applied sciences Group (NASDAQ:) proceed to promote the vast majority of their Bitcoin to fund working bills.

The three largest Bitcoin ETFs, which account for about 85% of ETF property below administration (AUM), noticed a 38% improve in shares excellent from mid-January to mid-March, throughout which Bitcoin costs peaked at $73,000. 

Since then, whereas Bitcoin costs have decreased by about 14%, shares excellent in these ETFs have solely risen by 1%. “Whereas ETF fund flows look to have supported the BTC value earlier this 12 months, arguably extra vital was the halving,” BTIG analyst defined.

The worldwide hash price is predicted to proceed its downward development by way of the summer time, probably bottoming out in August because of excessive energy costs in Texas, that are projected to common $140/MWh in the summertime months. 

“We count on world hash to stay below stress, most probably bottoming in August,” mentioned CFA at BTIG. Looking forward to 2025, energy costs are anticipated to stabilize at round $55/MWh, with one other spike anticipated subsequent summer time.

Massive-scale mergers and acquisitions within the Bitcoin mining trade is probably not imminent, however smaller acquisitions are anticipated. Cleanspark’s current acquisition of 75 MW at $250,000/MW units a precedent, with different miners more likely to pursue comparable bite-sized acquisitions. 

“The market stays bifurcated with corporations which have entry to capital ready to develop whereas these much less lucky most probably promoting owing to diminished revenues put up the halving,” the report concludes.