Human intelligence, as brilliant as it is, is no longer enough. Innovation has a cost. And beyond ideas, it is the energy and the economy that dictate the laws of progress. Today, a new duel is played out. Not in the labs or on the markets, but in electrical substations. On the one hand, the farms of AI. On the other, bitcoin minors. And the battle for the kilowatt has just started.
In short
- The AI outbids on energy prices, jostling the plans of Bitcoin minors.
- Bitcoin production costs are climbing, reaching $ 70,000, but remain attractive.
- Several companies rotate to AI to make the most of their existing infrastructure.
- Innovations aim to extend the life of the Rigs and reduce Crypto operating costs.
Minors vs ia: the energy war is declared
Bitcoin mining companies have just broken a record: $ 1.52 billion collected in a month. But behind this brilliant figure, another transformation takes place discreetly: access to energy becomes a strategic battlefield. Bitcoin's mining, formerly marginal, is now at the heart of geopolitical issues. And a new threat sets up: artificial intelligence, voracious in resources, begins to nibble on the field of minors.
In A report dated July 31, Gomining Institutional sets foot in the dish: artificial intelligence centers, supported by colossal capital, are starting to take up the ascendant. They manage to secure energy infrastructure more and more often that Bitcoin minors can no longer afford.
Companies like Riot Platforms suspended their expansion in Corsicana, Texas, to reposition themselves on the AI field. Iris Energy, on the other hand, limits the expansion of its Rigs fleet to bet on the AI cloud.
But minors still have assets. Their logistical flexibility, in particular. They can settle in out -of -network zones, where the fiber is absent, a crippling constraint for Data Centers IA. It is also an opportunity for some to attract a new type of institutional investors, in search of “Virgin BTC” at a good price.
Bitcoin remains profitable (but for how long?)
The Halving from April 2024 reduced the block reward to 3.125 BTC. Result: the revenues of minors were cut in half. However, Miner remains, for the moment, profitable. According to TheMinemag, producing a BTC costs $ 64,000 in the first quarter of 2025. This cost should exceed $ 70,000 by December. Faced with a spot price of $ 119,000, the margin remains attractive.
This is why institutionalists are starting to take an interest in mining. Why buy BTC on the market, when you can produce it at broken prices? Jeremy Dreier, director of Gomining Institutional, affirm that more and more institutions are looking to produce Bitcoin themselves. They target freshly undermined BTCs, deemed more economical and often preferred for reasons of traceability.
The strategy is not new, but it changes scale. Core Scientific, after its bankruptcy in 2022, rebounded with a contract of $ 3.5 billion signed with Coreweave, major actor of the AI. This turn towards AI reassured the markets. In June 2025, the valuation of the company jumped. The message is clear: diversify or die.
Bitcoin + IA: Hybrid strategies to survive pressure
To continue to exist, minors innovate at high speed. Some are focusing on optimization: Block Inc. has developed a new generation of more sustainable rigs. Others like Hut 8 go into the AI with their Highrise AI subsidiary, equipped with more than 1,000 NVIDIA H100 chips.
Hive has invested $ 30 million in IA clusters. His income in this area tripled to reach $ 10.1 million in 2025. Objective: $ 100 million by 2026. Iren (Iris Energy) went from 248 to more than 4,300 GPUs in 18 months. And while mining 1,514 BTC per quarter, it garnered $ 3.6 million via the IA cloud.
But beware: the Transition to AI has risks. Not everyone has solid kidneys to rotate.
What to remember:
- $ 70,000: estimated cost of a BTC at the end of 2025;
- 3.125 BTC: Post-Halving Award (2024);
- $ 3.5 billion: Core Scientific IA contract with Coreweave;
- 19 225 BTC: RIOT Platforms reserve (July 2025);
- X3: Progression of Hive IA income in 2025.
Bitcoin has long been the target of criticism for its energy consumption. However, new initiatives show that it could also be an engine of ecological innovation. The arrival of “green techs” – renewable energies, automation, blockchain for transparency – suggests a more durable mining industry. What if tomorrow, mine of the BTC became a responsible act?
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