Bitcoin Mining Industry Faces 15-Year Crisis, Shifts to AI and HPC

As reported by 528btc, the Bitcoin mining industry is undergoing its most severe crisis in over a decade due to rising operational costs, plummeting hash prices, and surging demand for AI infrastructure. Miners are increasingly pivoting to high-performance computing (HPC) and AI services, leveraging existing data centers and energy contracts to capture higher returns. Companies like Iris Energy and Hut 8 have already secured major contracts with tech giants such as Microsoft and are deploying AI-focused subsidiaries. This strategic shift is redefining the industry’s value proposition for investors, who are now evaluating mining firms based on their AI/HPC capabilities rather than Bitcoin mining performance alone.