The Bitcoin (BTC) mining industry has never been more attractive to institutional investors.

Fintech giants are investing in Bitcoin mining rather than just accumulating the asset, all thanks to the favorable regulatory environment in the US and the profitability margin of BTC.

The Bitcoin (BTC) mining industry has never been more attractive to institutional investors. Fintech giants are investing in Bitcoin mining rather than just accumulating the asset, thanks to the favorable regulatory environment in the US and the interesting economics of BTC, which is interesting enough to attract huge players.

Then, numerous companies are diversifying by allocating computing power to AI, further strengthening their economics and, thus, investment attractiveness. For now, it looks like the future of the foundational layer for the Bitcoin network could mark the new gusher age.

Is Bitcoin mining profitable?

Bitcoin mining is still profitable. CoinShares, a digital asset investment firm, shared that the average cost to mine 1 BTC for US-listed miners reached $55,950 in Q3 2024. Two other popular models — one from MacroMicro and another dubbed the Glassnode Difficulty Regression Model — give different estimates.

On the very same day of Feb. 20, MacroMicro.me data shows that the average cost to produce 1 BTC hovers above $92,000; Glassnode’s Difficulty Regression Model estimates the cost to mine a single BTC at approximately $34,400, all while the cryptocurrency’s price hit $98,300 on that day.

On a global scale, mining costs differ based on the region. For example, the electricity cost to produce 1 BTC in Ireland is roughly $321,000, but it costs just over $1,300 to mine 1 BTC in Iran. Electricity is only part of the equation — hardware, labor and maintenance costs also play a crucial role.

Recent data from CoinShares and MacroMicro.me paints a challenging yet nuanced picture for Bitcoin miners in the United States. While some institutional miners remain profitable, the broader landscape reveals increasing operational pressures that could reshape the mining industry.

If the challenges aren’t addressed, we might see institutions with high profitability rates expanding their operations and potentially acquiring struggling miners at bargain prices, which could put retail and smaller miners at risk.

Sustainable economics for investment attractiveness

In addition to receiving the block rewards, miners also benefit from the Bitcoin network’s transaction fees, which depend on network usage. Data shows that the daily Bitcoin transaction fees have been hovering between $360,000 and $1.3 million over the past month — reaching an average of $595,000 daily.

This additional revenue stream bolsters Bitcoin mining’s economic appeal and strengthens the resilience of the mining business model by diversifying income sources.

Recent: Bitcoin miner Bitfarms secures up to $300M loan from Macquarie

It’s not only mining that mining hardware is used for. High computational power, captive power supplies and ready-made infrastructure make miners uniquely equipped to support AI and high-performance computing. In simple terms, mining firms can now rent out their hardware to process AI tasks instead of only focusing on mining Bitcoin.

The combination of transaction fee revenue growth and AI computing diversification creates a more resilient and profitable industry model (the existing one has never been quite appealing to institutional investments in the US).

The US-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase had previously noted that the majority of surveyed institutions, specifically 83%, are planning to increase their crypto allocations in 2024. Among asset managers, 51% are considering investing in digital asset companies this year. This statistic highlights the broader institutional interest in exploring new avenues within the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

Among these investment opportunities, digital asset lending platforms appear particularly attractive to institutions.

This observation is further supported by the significant investments that have been pouring into crypto mining companies. For instance, Block interviewed executives at Circle, Avanta Ventures and Point72 Ventures to delve into the types of crypto startups that venture capitalists are interested in. According to the report by Point72, which manages about $27 billion in assets, a "huge portion" of its investments are in crypto lending and DeFi startups.

That’s why I’m not surprised to witness huge investments in Riot Platforms, CoreWeave and other mining industry players.

The favorable market sentiment has paved the way for more initial public offerings (IPOs) and specialized funds targeting mining companies. In addition to securing the $650-million investment, CoreWeave aims to go public with a $4-billion IPO to help the Nvidia-backed company reach a $35-billion valuation.

Bgin Blockchain, a Singapore-based crypto miner manufacturer, recently filed to go public in the US. Renaissance Capital, an investment advisory firm, expects Bgin Blockchain to raise $50 million for its IPO.

This surge in institutional momentum is set to benefit the Bitcoin mining industry by driving up demand and tightening available supply on the market. As more large players accumulate and hold Bitcoin, market scarcity could increase, supporting higher prices and, in turn, boosting miner profitability.