Odaily Planet Daily reports that, in a research report on Thursday, Bernstein stated that its Bitcoin mining industry transaction tracker recorded at least one new AI-related transaction each week in July, with a combined capacity exceeding 7.5 gigawatts, equivalent to $150 billion based on multi-year contracts.
Bernstein stated that as new U.S. data centers face increasing political resistance, access to electricity remains the practical bottleneck for the AI industry, and the third-party computing power provided by Bitcoin mining companies will retain its value.
On Monday, following the announcement of major AI infrastructure deals, Bitcoin mining stocks posted double-digit gains. Hut 8 announced a 15-year, $9.8 billion lease agreement for its AI data center campus, while IREN disclosed a $2.8 billion cloud services contract with AI developers.
Earlier in July, MARA Holdings announced plans to acquire a site in Texas with up to 2 gigawatts of capacity to expand its AI and digital infrastructure business. TeraWulf previously signed a 20-year data center lease agreement with AI startup Anthropic, which stated that the deal could generate approximately $19 billion in contract revenue. (Cointelegraph)