--- title: Bitcoin Miners Shift to AI Data Centers Amid Declining Profitability and Strategic Changes canonical: https://mining-provider.com/bitcoin-miners-shift-to-ai-data-centers-amid-declining-profitability-and-strategic-changes/ author: Mining Provider Editorial Staff published: 2026-07-05 updated: 2026-07-05 language: en category: News description: Bitcoin miners are shifting to AI data centers due to declining profitability, with significant investments in infrastructure and contracts; meanwhile, IREN's controversial CEO stock grants have impacted share prices. SBI Crypto is closing its Bitcoin mining pool to focus on cryptocurrency trading amid increasing competition. source: Provimedia GmbH --- # Bitcoin Miners Shift to AI Data Centers Amid Declining Profitability and Strategic Changes > **Autor:** Mining Provider Editorial Staff | **Veröffentlicht:** 2026-07-05 **Zusammenfassung:** Bitcoin miners are shifting to AI data centers due to declining profitability, with significant investments in infrastructure and contracts; meanwhile, IREN's controversial CEO stock grants have impacted share prices. SBI Crypto is closing its Bitcoin mining pool to focus on cryptocurrency trading amid increasing competition. --- ## Bitcoin Miners Accelerate Shift to AI Data Centers According to a report by Cointelegraph, large Bitcoin miners are rapidly transitioning part of their energy infrastructure to artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) data centers due to the declining profitability of Bitcoin mining. The key assets for miners in this new model are no longer ASIC devices, which are unsuitable for AI computations, but rather access to electricity, substations, cooling systems, permits, and pre-prepared sites. The global capacity of AI data centers reached 29.6 GW by the end of 2025, a significant increase from under 1 GW in 2022. Publicly traded mining companies have already signed several large contracts in the AI and HPC segments, including a five-year contract worth approximately $9.7 billion with Microsoft for GPU cloud services at a 750 MW site in Texas. > "The shift to AI is not cheap. A typical infrastructure for crypto mining costs between $700,000 and $1 million per MW, while AI facilities with liquid cooling can require $8 million to $15 million per MW," the report states. In summary, the transition to AI data centers is reshaping the mining landscape, with significant investments and contracts indicating a shift in focus from traditional Bitcoin mining to AI infrastructure. ## IREN's CEO Compensation Sparks Controversy Bitcoin miner IREN has granted its two co-CEOs, Daniel and William Roberts, 18.2 million restricted stock units valued at approximately $700 million. This allocation represents about 5% of the company and will remain locked until the fiscal year 2033, coinciding with the expiration of the founders' super-voting shares. The stock allocation has led to a significant drop in IREN's share price, falling about 10% to $38.82 following the announcement. Critics, including short-seller Jim Chanos, have raised concerns that the stock grants do not align with performance, as they could still hold shares worth $400 million even if the stock price drops by 50% over the next four years. In conclusion, the substantial stock grant to IREN's co-CEOs has raised eyebrows among investors, highlighting concerns over executive compensation and its potential impact on shareholder value. ## SBI Closes Bitcoin Mining Pool Amid Strategic Shift SBI Crypto has announced the closure of its Bitcoin mining pool, effective July 31, 2026, marking the end of one of Japan's more prominent commercial mining pools after five years of operation. The company has not disclosed the reasons for this decision, but it has advised existing miners to continue providing computing power until the final day to ensure accurate calculation and distribution of mining rewards. Currently, SBI Crypto's mining pool has a hash rate of approximately 21.46 EH/s, accounting for about 2.24% of the total Bitcoin network's computing power. Following the closure, SBI is redirecting its focus towards cryptocurrency exchanges and stablecoins, including plans to fully acquire the cryptocurrency exchange Bitbank for approximately 46.7 billion Japanese yen, or about $289 million. In summary, SBI's decision to close its mining pool reflects a broader strategic realignment towards cryptocurrency trading and digital financial services, amidst increasing competition and capital intensity in the Bitcoin mining sector. Sources: - [Bitcoin-Miner beschleunigen den Umstieg auf Rechenzentren für KI](https://open4business.com.ua/de/bitcoin-miner-beschleunigen-den-umstieg-auf-rechenzentren-fuer-ki/) - [Bitcoin-Miner IREN fällt nach 700-Millionen-USD-Aktienprämie für CEO](https://de.beincrypto.com/iren-aktie-faellt-ceo-verguetung/) - [Japanischer Finanzkonzern SBI schließt Bitcoin-Miningpool](https://newsbit.de/japanischer-finanzkonzern-sbi-schliesst-bitcoin-miningpool/) --- *Dieser Artikel wurde ursprünglich veröffentlicht auf [mining-provider.com](https://mining-provider.com/bitcoin-miners-shift-to-ai-data-centers-amid-declining-profitability-and-strategic-changes/)* *© 2026 Provimedia GmbH*