TLDR
- Nebius secured a massive $17.4 billion deal to provide GPU technology to Microsoft through 2031
- Crypto mining stocks surged with Bitfarms up 22% and Cipher Mining rising 20%
- Nebius stock soared nearly 50%, reaching an intraday high of $98.68
- The rally in mining stocks occurred despite Bitcoin falling 1%
- The deal highlights how AI demand is reshaping business models of companies traditionally tied to Bitcoin mining
The cryptocurrency mining sector experienced a dramatic surge in stock prices following the announcement of a landmark deal between Nebius Group and Microsoft. The $17.4 billion agreement, which will run through 2031, sent shares of crypto mining companies soaring, with many posting double-digit gains despite Bitcoin’s price dipping slightly.
The deal, announced on Tuesday, will see Netherlands-based Nebius provide dedicated GPU capacity to support Microsoft’s artificial intelligence operations. The agreement includes an option for expansion up to $19.4 billion, highlighting the tech giant’s growing commitment to AI infrastructure.
Nebius will support this partnership through its new data center in Vineland, New Jersey. The facility is scheduled to begin leasing infrastructure in 2025 and will continue scaling operations into 2026 and beyond to meet the demands of this extensive collaboration.
Investor enthusiasm for the deal quickly spread across related markets. Cryptocurrency mining companies, with their high-performance computing resources, emerged as clear beneficiaries of this development. Bitfarms led the rally with a 22% increase, while Cipher Mining followed closely with a 20% gain.
The surge wasn’t limited to these two companies. Other mining stocks including IREN, Hut 8, Riot Platforms, and TeraWulf all recorded double-digit percentage gains as investors recognized their potential role in the expanding AI ecosystem.
Mining Companies Pivot to AI
What makes this rally particularly telling is that it occurred while Bitcoin itself fell approximately 1% over the same 24-hour period. With the cryptocurrency trading near $111,100, the divergence between mining stock performance and Bitcoin price movements suggests a fundamental shift in how investors view these companies.
Rather than being valued purely on their ability to mine Bitcoin, these firms are increasingly being recognized for their potential to support AI infrastructure. The substantial computing power and energy infrastructure that crypto mining companies have developed puts them in a unique position to capitalize on the growing demand for AI processing capabilities.
MARA Holdings stood as an exception to the trend, gaining just 4%. This relatively modest increase likely reflects the company’s recent strategic shift to focus more on Bitcoin holdings than expanding its computing infrastructure, making it less positioned to benefit from AI-related opportunities.
Market Impact of the Deal
For Nebius, the deal has been transformative. The company, previously valued at $15.3 billion, saw its stock price soar by 49.4% on Tuesday. Shares closed at $95.72 after reaching a 52-week high of $98.68 during trading hours.
The market’s reaction was robust, with trading volume for Nebius spiking to nearly 88 million shares, far exceeding its three-month average. This surge reflects investors’ confidence in the company’s strategic positioning within both the cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence sectors.
The Nebius-Microsoft partnership represents one of the largest deals of its kind in the AI infrastructure space. With the agreement spanning multiple years and including provisions for expansion, it signals a long-term commitment to developing the computing resources necessary for advanced AI applications.
The deal also underscores how the boundaries between cryptocurrency mining and AI infrastructure are blurring. Companies that built their operations around Bitcoin mining are now finding that their expertise in managing high-performance computing systems and energy-intensive operations makes them valuable partners in the rapidly expanding AI industry.
As Microsoft continues to compete with other tech giants in the AI arms race, securing dedicated GPU capacity through this partnership with Nebius appears to be a strategic move to ensure it has the computing resources necessary to develop and deploy sophisticated AI systems in the coming years.
The $17.4 billion Nebius-Microsoft deal marks a pivotal moment for both companies and highlights the growing intersection between cryptocurrency infrastructure and artificial intelligence development.
