mara-20241231
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024
or
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from _______to______
MARA HOLDINGS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 800-804-1690
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share MARA The Nasdaq Capital Market
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act Yes☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐No☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☒ Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act) Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of the common stock of the registrant held by non-affiliates was approximately $5.7 billion based on the closing sale price on The Nasdaq Capital Market on June 28, 2024 (the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter).
As of February 21, 2025, the number of outstanding shares of the registrant’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, was 345,816,827.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement relating to the registrant’s 2025 annual meeting of stockholders, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days following the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, are incorporated by reference in Part III within this Annual Report on Form 10-K. With the exception of the portions of the Proxy Statement specifically incorporated herein by reference, the Proxy Statement and related solicitation materials are not deemed to be filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PART I.
Item 1. Business 6
Item 1A. Risk Factors 13
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 29
Item 1C. Cybersecurity 29
Item 2. Properties 31
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 31
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 31
PART II.
Item 6. [Reserved] 32
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 48
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data F-1
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 54
Item 9B. Other Information 57
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 57
PART III.
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 58
Item 11. Executive Compensation 58
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 58
PART IV.
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 59
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MARA HOLDINGS, INC.
As used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 (this “Annual Report”), the terms the “Company,” “MARA,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to MARA Holdings, Inc. (f/k/a Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc.) and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Some of the statements under “Business,” “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and elsewhere in this Annual Report may contain forward-looking statements that reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, future events, results and financial performance, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts, and you can often identify these forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “shall,” “should,” “strive,” “target,” “will” or the negative version of those words or other comparable words. Any forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report are based upon our historical performance and on our current plans, estimates and expectations in light of information currently available to us. The inclusion of this forward-looking information should not be regarded as a representation by us that the future plans, estimates or expectations contemplated by us will be achieved. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, financial results, financial condition, business, prospects, growth strategy and liquidity. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements and should consider the factors discussed under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A herein.
The factors identified in Part I, Item 1A herein should not be construed as an exhaustive list of factors that could affect our future results and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this Annual Report. The forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report are made only as of the date of this Annual Report. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement except as required by law, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from what we may have expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should specifically consider the factors identified in this Annual Report that could cause actual results to differ before making an investment decision to purchase our common stock.
Furthermore, new risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict those events or how they may affect us.
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PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
CORPORATE OVERVIEW
MARA is a global leader in leveraging digital asset compute to support the energy transformation, with operations on four continents and 16 data centers in North America, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America. We employ different strategies and structures (self-owned, joint ventures, and third-party hosted) to diversify risk across the organization. In prior years, we primarily used third party hosted sites to operate with an asset-light model. During the year, we decided to diversify our portfolio of assets and increased the proportion of our owned mining sites, exiting the year at approximately 70% owned capacity. Our core business is bitcoin mining, and we produce, or “mine,” bitcoin using one of the industry’s largest and most energy-efficient fleets of specialized computers while providing dispatchable compute as an optionality to the electric grid operators to balance electric demands on the grid.
We are exploring low cost energy initiatives through our owned power generation business, which focuses on disintermediating pipelines and powerlines by locating operations directly at energy sources, such as renewable energy sites and methane gas capture locations. Over time, it is our expectation that this strategy will reduce production costs, improve operating margins, lower the weighted average cost of capital, and extend the duration of our bitcoin mining rigs and capacity. Our low cost energy strategy focuses on reducing costs by utilizing stranded energy and exploring other opportunities, including selling excess capacity to offset costs and pursuing revenue generating initiatives that provide higher margins, thereby reducing our reliance on higher electricity costs. For example, subsequent to year end, we acquired an electric generating wind farm facility to utilize last-generation bitcoin mining rigs to provide an avenue for the hardware to continue operating profitably beyond its normal lifecycle.
In addition, we are expanding our involvement in complementary businesses that align with our core competencies and strategic goals. This includes the sale of data center infrastructure, such as immersion-cooled systems, to third parties operating in the bitcoin ecosystem and the artificial intelligence (“AI”) and high-performance compute (“HPC”) sector. Our business is also active in bitcoin-related projects focused on the technological development of immersion, hardware, firmware, mining pools and side chains that leverage blockchain cryptography.
We believe we are the second largest holder of bitcoin among publicly traded companies. From time to time, we enter into forward or option contracts and/or lend bitcoin to increase yield on our bitcoin holdings.
As used throughout this Annual Report, the term “Bitcoin” with a capital “B” is used to denote the Bitcoin protocol which implements a highly available, public, permanent, and decentralized ledger. The terms “bitcoin” with a lower case “b” and “BTC” are used to denote the coin, bitcoin.
BITCOIN BLOCKCHAIN
Bitcoin and Bitcoin Mining
Bitcoin is a decentralized digital asset that operates on a peer-to-peer network, allowing users to send and receive payments without the need for banks and other intermediaries. Bitcoin is not linked to any fiat currency or country’s monetary policy and therefore serves as a store of value outside of government control. This is possible by using blockchain technology, which is a distributed ledger that records and verifies all transactions on the network.
The Bitcoin blockchain is a public, transparent, and unalterable record of all transactions that have ever occurred on the peer-to-peer network. When a user sends a transaction on the Bitcoin network, it is broadcast to the network and added to a pool of unconfirmed transactions known as the “mempool.” Miners, which operate specialized hardware, known as bitcoin mining rigs or application-specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”), then compete to process these unconfirmed transactions into a “block.” The first miner to successfully confirm and assemble the transactions into a block receives a reward in the form of newly minted bitcoin (block subsidy) and transaction fees. Each confirmed transaction is cryptographically signed and permanently recorded in the blockchain as a new block, and cannot be altered or deleted.
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The blockchain is maintained by a robust and public open-source architecture consisting of a network of computers, known as nodes, that work together to verify and validate new transactions. Because the blockchain is decentralized and transparent, all users can verify the legitimacy of a transaction without having to rely on a third party. This eliminates the need for intermediaries, which can be slow and expensive, and makes the network resistant to censorship and fraud.
Bitcoin mining plays a key role in the maintenance and growth of the Bitcoin network by providing the computational power needed to verify transactions and add new blocks to the blockchain. We believe that, as the Bitcoin network becomes more secure, its enhanced security may drive greater adoption and transaction volumes and fees.
As of December 31, 2024, we operated approximately 400,000 mining rigs globally, with an energized hashrate of approximately 53.2 exahashes per second (“EH/s”). During the year ended December 31, 2024, we mined 9,430 bitcoin. We remain focused on maximizing our chances of successfully processing blocks on the Bitcoin blockchain by growing our hashrate, or the amount of computational power we devote to supporting the Bitcoin blockchain, to enhance our ability to successfully process blocks. Generally, the greater the share a single miner can capture of the blockchain’s total network hashrate, or the aggregate hashrate deployed to processing blocks on the Bitcoin blockchain, the greater the miner’s chances of processing a block and therefore earning the reward. As additional mining operators enter the market in response to increased demand for bitcoin, the Bitcoin blockchain’s network hashrate grows.
Bitcoin “Halving” Events
Bitcoin halving is a phenomenon that has historically occurred every 210,000 blocks or approximately every four years on the Bitcoin network. The halving is a key part of the Bitcoin protocol and serves to control the overall supply and reduce the risk of inflation in digital assets using a Proof-of-Work consensus algorithm. At a predetermined block, the block subsidy portion of the reward is cut in half, hence the term “halving.” For example, the block subsidy for adding a single block to the blockchain was initially set at 50 bitcoin currency rewards. The Bitcoin blockchain has undergone a halving four times since its inception, most recently in April 2024. The next halving for the Bitcoin blockchain is anticipated to occur around April 2028. This process will recur until the total amount of bitcoin currency rewards issued reaches 21,000,000, and the theoretical supply of new bitcoin is exhausted, which is expected to occur around 2140. Many factors influence the price of Bitcoin, and potential increase or decrease in prices in advance of or following the future halving is unknown.
At the beginning of the year, the reward for each solved block was equal to 6.25 bitcoin plus transaction fees. On April 19, 2024, the bitcoin halving event occurred, reducing the previous block reward to 3.125 bitcoin per block. The transaction fee was not impacted by the halving.
As of December 31, 2024, the price of bitcoin was $93,354.
Factors Affecting Profitability
Market Price of Bitcoin
Our business is heavily dependent on the price of bitcoin. The prices of digital assets, including bitcoin, have historically experienced substantial volatility, and digital asset prices have in the past and may in the future be driven by speculation and incomplete information, subject to rapidly changing investor sentiment, and influenced by factors such as technology, macroeconomic conditions, regulatory void or changes, fraudulent actors, manipulation, and media reporting. Further, the value of bitcoin and other digital assets may be significantly impacted by factors beyond our control, including consumer trust in the market acceptance of bitcoin as a means of exchange by consumers and merchants.
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Halving
The halving is an important part of the Bitcoin ecosystem, and it is closely watched by miners, investors, and other participants in the digital asset market. Each halving event has historically been associated with significant price movements in the value of bitcoin.
Network Hashrate and Difficulty
Generally, a bitcoin mining rig’s chance of solving a block on the Bitcoin blockchain and earning a bitcoin reward is a function of the mining rig’s hashrate, relative to the global network hashrate (i.e., the aggregate amount of computing power devoted to supporting the Bitcoin blockchain at a given time). As demand for bitcoin increases, the global network hashrate rapidly increases, and as more adoption of bitcoin occurs, we expect the demand for new bitcoin will likewise increase as more mining companies are drawn into the industry by this increase in demand. Further, as more and increasingly powerful mining rigs are deployed, the network difficulty for Bitcoin increases. Network difficulty is a measure of how difficult it is to solve a block on the Bitcoin blockchain, which is adjusted every 2,016 blocks, or approximately every two weeks, so that the average time between each block is approximately ten minutes. A high difficulty means that it will take more computing power to solve a block and earn a new bitcoin reward, which, in turn, makes the Bitcoin network more secure by limiting the possibility of one miner or mining pool gaining control of the network. Therefore, as new and existing miners deploy additional hashrate, the global network hashrate will continue to increase, meaning a miner’s share of the global network hashrate (and therefore its chance of earning bitcoin rewards) will decline if it fails to deploy additional hashrate at pace with the industry.
STRATEGIC FOCUS
Our focus in 2024 was on growth, execution and transition into a more mature organization with a diversified portfolio of bitcoin mining sites while strategically reducing bitcoin production costs. This focus consisted of the expansion of operations of our core bitcoin mining business, acquiring and operating bitcoin mining sites to host our own bitcoin mining rigs and deploying low cost energy initiatives. Key activities and milestones during 2024 included the following:
•We more than doubled our hashrate to 53.2 EH/s.
•We acquired five operational data centers, totaling 812 megawatts (“MW”) of nameplate capacity, in Granbury and Garden City, Texas, Kearney, Nebraska, and Hannibal and Hopedale, Ohio.
•We entered into an agreement to acquire a wind farm in Hansford County, Texas, with 240 MW of interconnection capacity and 114 MW of nameplate wind capacity to establish a behind-the-meter data center at low energy costs and provide an avenue for prior-generation bitcoin mining rigs to continue operating profitably beyond their normal lifecycle. The acquisition closed subsequent to year end.
•We launched a 25 MW micro data center operation in partnership with an oil and gas company, utilizing excess, flared natural gas from oil wellheads in Texas and North Dakota to power our bitcoin mining operations. This operation mitigates up to 99% of methane emissions and drives down our energy costs.
•In Finland, we deployed two pilot projects to recycle heat from our operations, providing heat to communities with a total population of approximately 80,000 residents. These sites offset our production costs through heat sales while reducing the local communities’ reliance on high carbon emitting biomass through the use of hydro power, delivering renewable energy and more affordable heating to communities.
•We launched a program to generate additional return by loaning bitcoin. At year end, we had approximately 10,374 bitcoin under loaned or collateral arrangements.
•We grew bitcoin holdings (including loaned and collateralized bitcoin) by 197% to 44,893, which highlights our commitment to our core operations while also recognizing opportunities to purchase bitcoin strategically.
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Our primary focus in 2025 is to keep our current fleet of over 400,000 bitcoin mining rigs energized and running optimally while increasing our total hashrate. We anticipate further growth of our hashrate in 2025 as we bring newly acquired bitcoin miners into operation.
We have grown quickly to become a global leader in leveraging digital asset compute to support energy transformation. We achieved this milestone through an asset-heavy strategy, which involved deploying our bitcoin miners at third-party hosted sites and making strategic acquisitions throughout 2024. During the year ended December 31, 2024 we announced a significant shift in our treasury policy and adopted a full holding onto bitcoin (“HODL”) strategy to retain all mined and purchased bitcoin for the foreseeable future. The adoption of this strategy reflects our confidence in the long-term value of bitcoin and our belief that it is the world’s best treasury reserve asset.
In addition to this approach, we implemented a hybrid bitcoin acquisition strategy, balancing mining with opportunistic market purchases, leveraging approximately $2.2 billion in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes (the “2024 Convertible Notes”), of which $1.9 billion bears no interest. In 2024, we acquired 22,065 bitcoin at an average price of $87,205 and mined an additional 9,430 bitcoin, increasing our total bitcoin holdings to 44,893 as of December 31, 2024. These holdings were valued at approximately $4.2 billion based on a spot price of $93,354 per bitcoin on of December 31, 2024, strengthening our liquidity position – a priority that we intend to continue focusing on in 2025.
As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately 7,377 bitcoin loaned to third parties, generating yield from our loaned bitcoin, and approximately 2,997 bitcoin utilized as collateral for borrowings. Our combined cash and cash equivalents, excluding restricted cash and digital assets, including loaned and collateralized bitcoin, totaled nearly $4.6 billion as of December 31, 2024. Refer to Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, “Financial Condition and Liquidity” included in this Annual Report for further information.
We also expect to deploy several technological innovations developed by our technology team and partners at our operations and bring them to market. These innovations include a new two-phase immersion-cooling (“2PIC”) system, designed to optimize cooling efficiency, mining rig performance, and heat capture and reuse, as well as new hardware and software solutions. Deployments of 2PIC technology have already begun, with tanks scheduled for integration across key sites to improve both our operations and those of external customers. Initially, we expect to be the primary user of 2PIC.
Research and Development
Our research and development (“R&D”) efforts play a critical role in driving our innovation and growth. Our R&D process is designed to support the creation and development of new tools and processes intended to serve an integral part of our overall business strategy and enhance our market position as an advanced and sustainable bitcoin miner. Additionally, R&D includes activities related to AI and adjacent markets, with the goal of creating additional revenue opportunities over the long term.
The first step in the R&D process is ideation, which is the process of generating and evaluating new ideas. We encourage our team members to come up with creative and innovative ideas, and then we provide them with the resources and support they need to explore these ideas further.
Once we have identified a promising idea, the next step is to develop a prototype. This typically involves creating a small-scale version of the product or service, which can be tested and evaluated in order to identify potential issues and improve the design. We conduct market research to understand the potential market for the product or service.
The final step in our R&D process is testing and validation. This involves conducting thorough testing of the prototype to identify any issues or flaws, and to ensure that it meets our rigorous quality standards. We also conduct market testing to gather feedback from real-world users, and use this feedback to refine and improve the product or service.
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Overall, our R&D process is designed to support the creation and development of innovative technology advancements that ensure we maintain our competitive advantages and improve our position as a leading bitcoin miner. We believe that this process is essential for driving growth, staying ahead of the competition, and achieving success.
Strategic Investments
We are committed to pursuing strategic investments that align with our vision and values. Our strategic focus is to identify and partner with companies that we believe will generate synergies to create long-term value for our stockholders.
A core element of our investment strategy is to focus on companies that are at the forefront of emerging technologies and industries. We believe targeted companies have the potential to drive significant innovation and growth, and we are committed to supporting the development through investments in both hardware and software companies.
Another key aspect of our strategy is to prioritize investments in companies that are aligned with our values and mission. We believe our stockholders expect us to support businesses that operate in a responsible and sustainable manner, and we are committed to making investments that reflect these values.
Overall, our investment strategy is designed to support our growth and success, while propelling our business to be the most advanced, agile, and efficient bitcoin miner. We are committed to making strategic investments that align with both our vision and values, and believe this approach will help us achieve long-term success.
OPERATIONS
We deploy miners at sites on four continents. The following map and table represent our site locations and provide current megawatt (“megawatt” or “MW”) and exahash capacity and expansion opportunities:
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Owned Sites
Granbury, Texas Colocated generation + grid 232 68 300 12.1
Garden City, Texas Colocated generation + grid 126 74 200 8.2
Hannibal, Ohio Grid connection 41 159 200 —
Hansford County, Texas (2) Colocated with wind generation — 180 180 —
Kearney, Nebraska Grid connection 92 8 100 5.8
Hopedale, Ohio Grid connection 21 4 25 0.9
Hearne, Texas Flare gas 22 — 22 0.6
International Various 57 — 57 2.1
Hosted Sites
McCamey, Texas Colocated generation + grid 216 — 216 7.6
Ellendale, North Dakota Grid connection 180 — 180 10.5
Jamestown, North Dakota Grid connection 93 — 93 3.7
(1)Subject to certain utility approval, interconnection studies, land lease/acquisitions and/or regulatory approvals.
(2)TheHansford County, Texas acquisition closed subsequent to year end, on February 14, 2025.
COMPETITION
In digital asset mining, companies and individuals use computing power to solve cryptographic algorithms to record and publish transactions to blockchain ledgers or provide transaction verification services to the Bitcoin network in exchange for digital asset rewards. The current reward for verifying a block on the Bitcoin blockchain is 3.125 bitcoin. Miners can range from individual enthusiasts to professional mining operators with dedicated data centers. Miners may organize themselves in mining pools. We compete or may in the future compete with other companies that focus all or a portion of their activities on owning or operating digital asset exchanges, developing programming for the blockchain, and mining activities. Currently, the information concerning the activities of these enterprises is not readily available as the vast majority of the participants in this sector do not publish information publicly or the information may be unreliable.
We believe our acquisitions and our ongoing deployment of miners positions us well among the publicly traded companies involved in the digital asset mining industry. The digital asset mining industry is a highly competitive and evolving industry and new competitors and/or emerging technologies could enter the market and affect our competitiveness in the future.
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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
We actively use specific hardware and software for digital asset mining operations. In certain cases, source code and other software assets may be subject to an open-source license, as much of the technology development underway in our sector is open source.
We currently own two patents in the United States and have 17 patent applications pending. Our patents have various expiration dates, generally 20 years from the respective original filing date. Our patents improve efficiency to decrease settlement risk and expand server and radio functionalities. In the future, we may seek to register additional patents in connection with our existing and planned blockchain and digital asset operations.
To protect and enforce our proprietary information and intellectual property, we rely upon trade secrets, trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights and other intellectual property rights.
Additionally, we expect to continue to license the use of intellectual property rights owned and controlled by others. We also have developed, and may further develop, certain proprietary software applications for purposes of our digital asset mining operations and may license proprietary software application to third parties.
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE
We operate within a complex and rapidly evolving regulatory environment and are subject to a wide range of laws and regulations enacted by U.S. federal, state, and local governments, governmental agencies, and regulatory authorities, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”), the Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”), and the Financial Crimes Enforcement network of the U.S. Department of Treasury, as well as similar entities in other countries. Other regulatory bodies have demonstrated an interest in regulating or investigating companies engaged in blockchain or cryptocurrency businesses.
Regulations may substantially change in the future and it is presently not possible to know how regulations will apply to our business, or when they may be effective. While we anticipate that bitcoin mining will be an area of focus for regulators in 2025 and beyond, we cannot predict with certainty the impact regulations may have on our business or operations. As the regulatory and legal environment evolves, we may become subject to new laws and regulations by the SEC and other agencies, which may affect our mining operations and other activities. Additionally, state and local regulation of bitcoin mining is important with respect to where we conduct our mining operations. A substantial number of our bitcoin miners are located in Texas and North Dakota, which are generally favorable regulatory environments for bitcoin miners compared to other states. However, we may also become subject to additional regulatory requirements on a state and local level in the geographies in which we operate, and as we strategically expand our operations into new areas.
For additional discussion of potential risks that existing and future regulation may pose to our business, see Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of this Annual Report.
HUMAN CAPITAL RESOURCES
As of December 31, 2024, we had a total workforce of approximately 152 employees across our entire organization, all of whom were employed full-time, including professionals in accounting, communications, engineering, finance, growth, human resources, information and technology, investor relations, legal and operations.
Our human capital resources strategy is to align the interests of our employees with our key long-term success drivers. In execution of this strategy, we maintain an equity incentive plan, under which all eligible employees can receive equity grants. We believe our equity plan serves as a key incentive for our employees, aligning their long-term interests with our objectives as an organization.
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We also compare salary and wages against quantitative benchmarks and adjust monetary compensation to ensure wages are competitive and consistent with employee positions, skill levels, experience, and geographic location. We maintain a robust process for ensuring pay equity across MARA and increases in incentives and compensation based on merit and performance. In addition, we provide a comprehensive range of benefits options, including medical, dental and vision insurance for employees and family members, paid and unpaid leaves, and life and disability/accident coverage.
At MARA, we seek to attract a pool of diverse, best-in-class candidates and foster their career growth by hiring the best talent available, rather than relying solely on educational background. In support of such initiative, we look for candidates in local communities and large cities alike, and from a variety of backgrounds. Our goal is a long-term, growth-oriented career for each employee. We also believe that our ability to retain our workforce is dependent on our ability to foster an environment that is sustainably safe, respectful, fair, and inclusive of everyone.
CORPORATE HISTORY AND AVAILABLE INFORMATION
Previously known as Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc., we changed our name to MARA Holdings, Inc. on August 29, 2024.
Our website address is www.mara.com. The information contained on or connected to our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report and should not be considered part of this or any other report filed with the SEC. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, as well as any amendments to those reports, are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we file them with, or furnish them to, the SEC.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Described below are certain risks to our business and the industry in which we operate. You should carefully consider the risks described below, together with the financial and other information contained in this Annual Report and in our other public disclosures. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. As a result, our future results could differ materially from historical results and from guidance we may provide regarding our expectations of our future financial performance, and the trading price of our common stock could decline.
Risk Factors Summary
The following is a summary of the principal factors that make an investment in our securities speculative or risky, all of which are more fully described below in this section. This summary should be read in conjunction with the full description of “Risk Factors” in this section and should not be relied upon as an exhaustive summary of the material risks facing our business. In addition to the following summary and the information in this section, you should consider the other information contained in this Annual Report before investing in our securities.
Risks Related to Our Business
•Bitcoin price volatility may affect our ability to effectively manage our growth plans and profitability;
•Regulatory, commercial, and technical uncertainties may influence bitcoin prices;
•Failure to increase our hashrate may reduce our competitiveness and negatively impact our financial performance;
•Our HODL strategy exposes us to market volatility and liquidity risks;
•Significant disruptions in the cryptocurrency markets, like those in late 2022, could materially impair the value of our mining rigs, and prolonged low bitcoin prices could force us to idle mining rigs;
•The adoption and long-term viability of digital asset networks is uncertain, and a decline in their growth or acceptance could negatively impact our business and the value of our stock;
•We face risks related to technological obsolescence, vulnerability of the global supply chain for cryptocurrency hardware, potential trade restrictions and difficulty in obtaining new hardware, which may have a material adverse effect on our business;
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•We may experience liquidity constraints and need additional capital, which may not be available to us on favorable terms, or at all;
•Our bitcoin lending arrangements expose us to risks of borrower default, operational failures and cybersecurity threats;
•The U.S. political and economic environment could materially impact our business operations and financial performance, and uncertainty surrounding the potential legal, regulatory and policy changes by the new U.S. presidential administration may directly affect us and the global economy;
•We have engaged in, and may continue to engage in, strategic acquisitions and other transactions that could disrupt our business, dilute our stockholders, strain our financial resources and harm our operating results;
•Geopolitical and economic crises could lead to increased uncertainty, large-scale selloffs of digital assets and a decline in bitcoin’s value, negatively impacting our business and stock price; and
•The lack of legal recourse and insurance for our digital assets increases the risk of total loss in the event of theft or destruction.
Risks Related to Governmental Regulation and Enforcement
•The rapidly evolving and uncertain regulatory landscape for cryptocurrencies exposes us to legal risks, compliance costs, and potential business disruptions;
•The unregulated nature and lack of transparency of many bitcoin trading venues may expose us to fraud, security failures, and operational risks, potentially harming the value of our bitcoin holdings;
•If bitcoin is classified as a security, we may be subject to extensive regulation, which could result in significant costs or force us to cease certain operations;
•Our bitcoin holdings could subject us to regulatory scrutiny and potential restrictions on future transactions;
•Operating in foreign jurisdictions exposes us to political, legal, and regulatory risks that could negatively impact our financial condition; and
•Target energy regulations and taxes could increase our costs and adversely affect our business.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
•Our stock price is volatile and subject to significant fluctuations;
•Our ongoing at-the-market stock issuances contribute to stockholder dilution and may intensify due to our HODL strategy;
•The issuance, conversion, or exercise of convertible notes and other convertible securities, options, and warrants will dilute our stockholders’ ownership; and
•Uncertainty in accounting standards for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies may lead to financial restatements and business disruptions.
Risks Related to Our Business
Bitcoin price volatility may affect our ability to effectively manage our growth plans and profitability.
The market price of bitcoin is extremely volatile, and in fiscal 2024 the price range of bitcoin was between approximately $39,000 and $106,000. The cost to mine a bitcoin is independent of the then current price of bitcoin, so when bitcoin prices are low, the cost per coin to mine may consume much of our available cash, limiting our ability to invest in expansion, upgrade mining equipment and infrastructure or fund other strategic initiatives. Additionally, because our revenue is primarily derived from mining bitcoin, our profitability fluctuates in direct correlation with bitcoin price movements. A decrease in bitcoin’s price results in a corresponding decrease in the value of the bitcoin we mine, reducing our revenues and profitability on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Given the volatility of bitcoin prices, we are unable to accurately predict our future growth trajectory or reliably forecast our revenue and profitability for any given reporting period. Our ability to expand our operations depends on our assumptions regarding bitcoin’s future price. If those assumptions are incorrect, and bitcoin prices fail to reach or sustain levels
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high enough to justify our capital expenditures, we may be unable to generate sufficient revenue to maintain profitability or execute our growth strategy, which could materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Regulatory, commercial and technical uncertainties may influence bitcoin prices.
The market price of bitcoin is subject to numerous uncertainties, including evolving regulatory frameworks, commercial adoption trends and technical risks, any of which could negatively impact its value. Regulatory treatment of digital assets remains uncertain in various jurisdictions, and new regulations, enforcement actions, or interpretations by governmental authorities could diminish bitcoin’s appeal, restrict its use or otherwise depress its market price.
Beyond regulation, bitcoin’s price is influenced by factors such as:
•public perception and media coverage of bitcoin and digital assets;
•accessibility and convenience of purchasing, holding and transacting with bitcoin;
•institutional demand for bitcoin as an asset class;
•consumer adoption of bitcoin for everyday transactions; and
•emergence of competing digital assets with potentially superior functionality, scalability or regulatory compliance.
Even if bitcoin adoption increases in the short term, there is no guarantee that this growth will be sustained. Since bitcoin exists solely as digital records on the Bitcoin blockchain, its value is also susceptible to technical risks, including:
•a decrease in miner incentives due to declining block rewards and transaction fees;
•security vulnerabilities, such as potential network attacks or software exploits;
•forks or changes to the Bitcoin protocol that may split the network or cause instability; and
•developments in mathematics or technology, including in digital computing, algebraic geometry and quantum computing, that could result in the cryptography used by the Bitcoin blockchain becoming insecure or ineffective.
Additionally, bitcoin’s liquidity could be adversely affected if financial institutions, payment processors or market makers withdraw their support for bitcoin-related services due to regulatory pressure, reputational concerns or operational risks. If any of these risks materialize, they could negatively impact bitcoin’s market price, which, in turn, would adversely affect our business and financial condition.
Failure to increase our hashrate may reduce our competitiveness and negatively impact our financial performance.
Our ability to earn bitcoin rewards is directly proportional to our mining power, or hashrate, relative to the total hashrate of the Bitcoin network. As more miners enter the network and deploy more powerful mining equipment, the global hashrate increases, making it more difficult to successfully mine bitcoin. To remain competitive, we must continuously invest in expanding our hashrate by acquiring new, more efficient mining hardware. However, as demand for mining equipment grows, the cost of acquiring and deploying new miners increases, which could limit our ability to scale. If we are unable to access capital to acquire additional miners, our hashrate may stagnate and we may fall behind our competitors. If we fail to increase our hashrate at a pace that keeps up with network difficulty growth, our share of total bitcoin mining rewards will decline, reducing our revenue and negatively impacting our financial performance.
Our HODL strategy exposes us to market volatility and liquidity risks.
In the third quarter of 2024, we adopted a HODL strategy whereby we retain all bitcoin mined in our operations or purchased in the open market, rather than selling bitcoin to generate revenue. In the second half of 2024, we raised approximately $2.2 billion, primarily through the issuance of the 2024 Convertible Notes, to acquire bitcoin as part of our HODL strategy. As a result, our financial condition is highly dependent on the market price of bitcoin, which historically has been volatile and subject to fluctuations due to regulatory developments, macroeconomic conditions,
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technological advancements, security incidents, market speculation and adoption trends. If the price of bitcoin declines significantly or remains low for an extended period, the value of our holdings could decrease materially, affecting our balance sheet and liquidity. Since we do not generate significant revenue from other business activities, a prolonged downturn in bitcoin’s price could make it difficult to cover operational expenses, service debt or fund strategic initiatives. Additionally, if we need to sell bitcoin to meet financial obligations, we could face liquidity constraints, unfavorable market conditions or regulatory restrictions that limit our ability to do so. Any of these factors could adversely affect our financial stability and business prospects. While we believe our HODL strategy will create long-term value, there is no guarantee that it will generate the returns we expect or that we will be able to meet our obligations under outstanding convertible notes without negatively impacting our financial condition.
Significant disruptions in the cryptocurrency markets, like those in late 2022, could materially impair the value of our mining rigs, and prolonged low bitcoin prices could force us to idle mining rigs.
Major disruptions in the cryptocurrency market, such as those in late 2022, could significantly impact the value of our mining equipment. In the fourth quarter of 2022, bitcoin’s price fell from nearly $21,500 to a low of approximately $15,500. This decline, combined with negative market sentiment following the collapse of FTX Trading Ltd. in November 2022 and the bankruptcies and restructurings of multiple digital asset companies, caused a material decline in the fair value of our mining rigs and deposits for future mining rig purchases. As a result, we recorded a $332.9 million impairment charge for the quarter ended December 31, 2022. Similar market downturns in the future could force us to record further impairments on our current and future assets, which could negatively impact our financial condition.
Our ability to operate profitably depends heavily on bitcoin prices. If bitcoin’s price drops and remains low for an extended period, we may have to consider whether it is financially viable to continue operating certain mining rigs until prices recover. There is a theoretical minimum bitcoin price below which bitcoin mining becomes uneconomical, particularly when operating costs exceed mining revenue. However, determining this threshold is complex due to the constantly changing variables involved. We operate multiple mining sites with different hosting and electricity costs, each governed by separate contract structures. If market conditions make mining unprofitable across multiple sites, we may need to shut down or scale back operations, which could reduce our revenues and negatively impact our financial performance.
The adoption and long-term viability of digital asset networks is uncertain, and a decline in their growth or acceptance could negatively impact our business and the value of our stock.
Bitcoin and other digital assets are part of a new and rapidly evolving industry. The long-term growth and viability of digital assets depend on multiple factors, including:
•continued global adoption and usage of bitcoin and other digital assets;
•government regulations that impact digital asset transactions and network operations;
•the development and maintenance of Bitcoin’s open-source software protocol;
•shifting consumer demographics, preferences and payment habits;
•the availability and popularity of alternative payment methods, including improved fiat currency solutions;
•economic conditions and the regulatory environment for digital assets; and
•regulatory scrutiny and associated compliance costs.
If bitcoin adoption stagnates or declines, demand for bitcoin could weaken, which could negatively affect our business. A prolonged lack of growth in bitcoin adoption could reduce market confidence, leading to lower trading volumes and diminished liquidity. Additionally, bitcoin’s price volatility undermines its role as a medium of exchange, as retailers are less likely to accept it as a form of payment. Marketplace acceptance of bitcoin as a medium of exchange and payment method may remain low. The relative lack of acceptance of bitcoin in the retail and commercial marketplace, or a reduction of such use, limits the ability of end users to use bitcoin to pay for goods and services.
Further, as block rewards decrease, higher transaction fees may be required to incentivize miners, potentially reducing bitcoin adoption and value. In order to incentivize miners to continue to contribute processing power to any digital asset network, such network may either formally or informally transition from a set reward to transaction fees earned upon solving for a block. This transition could be accomplished either by miners independently electing to
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record in the blocks they solve only those transactions that include payment of a transaction fee or by the digital asset network adopting software upgrades that require the payment of a minimum transaction fee for all transactions. If transaction fees paid for digital asset transactions become too high, the marketplace may be reluctant to accept digital assets as a means of payment and existing users may be motivated to switch from one digital asset to another digital asset or back to fiat currency. A decline in bitcoin transactions and adoption could reduce demand, negatively impacting bitcoin’s price and affecting the value of our bitcoin holdings.
We face risks related to technological obsolescence, vulnerability of the global supply chain for cryptocurrency hardware, potential trade restrictions and difficulty in obtaining new hardware, which may have a material adverse effect on our business.
Bitcoin mining hardware experiences wear and tear over time, requiring periodic repairs or replacement to maintain efficiency. Additionally, as mining technology evolves, we must invest in newer, more efficient mining equipment to remain competitive, which requires significant capital expenditures.
Further, we have faced complications related to the import of mining equipment in the past and may face such complications in the future. The global supply of miners is unpredictable and presently heavily dependent on manufacturers based in China. Geopolitical matters, including the relationship between the United States and other countries and trade restrictions and tariffs (or the threat of trade restrictions or tariffs), may impact our ability to import miners or other equipment necessary for our operations. Restrictions or bans on mining equipment from China, whether due to trade restrictions, national security concerns or geopolitical tensions, could disrupt our supply chain, increase equipment costs and delay our growth plans.
In addition, officials of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency (“CBP”) have broad discretion regarding products imported into the United States, and the CBP has on occasion detained or seized imported miners and other equipment necessary to the operation of our miners, which has resulted in significant costs to us. If our imported mining equipment is detained or seized in the future, we may not be able to obtain adequate replacement parts for our existing miners and other equipment or obtain additional miners and other equipment from manufacturers on a timely basis or at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
We may experience liquidity constraints and need additional capital, which may not be available to us on favorable terms, or at all.
Liquidity risk is the possibility that we will be unable to meet our financial obligations as they come due. To manage this risk, we use a planning and budgeting process to estimate the funds needed for ongoing operations and growth initiatives. In 2024, we settled our obligations using cash, cash equivalents and net proceeds from our offerings of the 2024 Convertible Notes and stock sales pursuant to our at-the-market offerings. Additionally, in October 2024, we secured a $200.0 million line of credit through master lending agreements with a consortium of lenders. This line of credit requires digital asset collateral, but since these agreements are uncommitted, we cannot guarantee access to funds on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Further, if bitcoin’s price drops significantly, we may face margin calls on our borrowings, requiring us to post additional collateral or risk liquidation of collateralized bitcoin.
We expect that we will need to raise additional capital to expand our operations, pursue our growth strategy and respond to competitive pressures or unanticipated working capital requirements. We may seek but fail to obtain additional debt or equity financing on favorable terms, if at all, which could impair our growth and adversely affect our existing operations. Raising capital through equity financing could dilute existing stockholders and reduce the value of their investment. Debt financing, on the other hand, could impose restrictive terms, prioritize creditors over stockholders or require us to maintain liquidity levels or financial ratios that may not align with our business needs or be in the best interest of our stockholders.
Our bitcoin lending arrangements expose us to risks of borrower default, operational failures and cybersecurity threats.
From time to time, we generate income through bitcoin lending, which carries significant risks. The volatility of bitcoin increases the likelihood that borrowers may default due to market downturns, liquidity crises, fraud or other financial distress. Because our bitcoin lending arrangements are unsecured, they rank below secured debt in a
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borrower’s capital structure. If a borrower becomes insolvent, we may be unable to recover the loaned bitcoin, leading to substantial financial losses.
Additionally, digital asset lending platforms are vulnerable to operational and cybersecurity risks. Technical failures, software bugs or system outages could disrupt lending activities, delay transactions or result in inaccurate record-keeping. Cybersecurity threats, including hacking, phishing and other malicious attacks, pose further risks, potentially leading to the loss, theft or misappropriation of our loaned bitcoin. A successful cyberattack or security breach could materially and adversely impact our financial position, reputation and ability to conduct future lending activities.
The U.S. political and economic environment could materially impact our business operations and financial performance, and uncertainty surrounding the potential legal, regulatory and policy changes by the new U.S. presidential administration may directly affect us and the global economy.
Changes in U.S. political leadership and economic policies may create uncertainty that materially affects our business and financial performance. Shifts in legal, regulatory, and trade policies, particularly under a new presidential administration, could disrupt our operations and long-term strategy.
For example, if the U.S. government establishes a strategic bitcoin reserve, large-scale purchases could create price volatility or artificial price suppression, making our mining operations less profitable. Conversely, slow or no action in creating such a reserve could limit institutional adoption and negatively impact bitcoin’s value, which could also harm our financial condition. Additionally, increased government influence over the Bitcoin network could affect mining difficulty, transaction processing, and other technical aspects, further impacting our business.
We also face risks from trade policy changes, including tariffs and restrictions on imports of mining equipment. The current administration has imposed, and may continue to impose, tariffs on imports from key manufacturing regions, increasing costs and disrupting supply chains.
The scope and timing of potential policy changes remain uncertain, making it difficult to plan for or mitigate these risks. Any such changes could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We have engaged in, and may continue to engage in, strategic acquisitions and other transactions that could disrupt our business, dilute our stockholders, strain our financial resources and harm our operating results.
As part of our growth strategy, we have pursued strategic transactions, including acquiring companies, miners and data centers. In the future, we may seek additional opportunities to expand our mining operations, including purchasing miners, data centers and other facilities, potentially from companies in financial distress. Our ability to grow through acquisitions depends on several factors, including the availability of suitable opportunities at acceptable costs, our ability to compete effectively to attract those opportunities and access to financing.
Acquisitions may require us to issue common stock, thereby diluting existing stockholders, or take on liabilities from acquired businesses. They may also result in recording goodwill and intangible assets that require regular impairment testing, which could lead to periodic write-downs. Additionally, acquisitions often involve significant costs, including integration expenses, restructuring charges and potential litigation risks.
Even when successful, acquisitions and expansions may take considerable time to deliver anticipated benefits, if at all. Integrating new businesses, technologies, and personnel can be complex and may divert management’s attention from daily operations. We may also face liabilities related to a target company’s past operations. Entering new markets where we have little experience could pose additional challenges, particularly if competitors have stronger market positions. Furthermore, we may struggle to generate sufficient revenue to justify acquisition costs, and the integration process could disrupt relationships with employees, suppliers and other stakeholders.
Further, we may not be able to pursue our current acquisition strategy in the future. Beyond bitcoin mining and related acquisitions, we have explored, and may continue to explore, opportunities in adjacent or complementary businesses as market conditions allow. These ventures may carry similar risks, including operational and financial challenges, and there is no guarantee they will provide the expected benefits in a timely manner, if at all.
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Geopolitical and economic crises could lead to increased uncertainty, large-scale selloffs of digital assets and a decline in bitcoin’s value, negatively impacting our business and stock price.
Bitcoin is an alternative to fiat currencies that are backed by central governments, but its value is highly dependent on supply and demand. It is unclear how global geopolitical and economic crises will affect the adoption and valuation of digital assets. However, such crises may lead to large-scale acquisitions or sales of digital assets, causing significant price volatility. A large-scale selloff of bitcoin could decrease its value, directly affecting our business and the price of our common stock. Additionally, broader macroeconomic instability, inflation and regulatory uncertainty could impact our ability to conduct business efficiently and profitably. A significant decline in bitcoin’s value due to economic or geopolitical factors could negatively affect our financial condition.
The lack of legal recourse and insurance for our digital assets increases the risk of total loss in the event of theft or destruction.
Our digital assets are not insured against theft, loss or destruction. If an event occurs where we lose our digital assets, whether due to cyberattacks, fraud or other malicious activities, we may not have any viable legal recourse or ability to recover the lost assets. Unlike funds held in insured banking institutions, our digital assets are not protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. If our digital assets are lost under circumstances that render another party liable, there is no guarantee that the responsible party will have the financial resources to compensate us. As a result, we and our stockholders could face significant financial losses.
The open-source structure of the Bitcoin network exposes us to risks related to software development, security vulnerabilities and potential disruptions.
Digital asset networks are open-source projects and, although there is an influential group of leaders in, for example, the Bitcoin network community known as the “Core Developers,” there is no official developer or group of developers that formally controls the Bitcoin network. As an open-source project, Bitcoin is not represented by an official organization or authority. The Bitcoin network protocol is not sold, and contributors generally are not compensated for maintaining and updating the Bitcoin network protocol. Without guaranteed financial incentives, there may be insufficient resources to address emerging issues, upgrade security or implement necessary improvements in a timely manner. If the Bitcoin network’s software is not properly maintained or developed, it could become vulnerable to security threats, operational inefficiencies and reduced trust, all of which could negatively impact bitcoin’s long-term viability and our business.
Bitcoin network forks, where the blockchain splits into two separate networks, could cause disruptions and negatively impact our business.
Since the Bitcoin network is an open-source project, any individual can download the Bitcoin network software and make any desired modifications, which are proposed to users and miners on the Bitcoin network through software downloads and upgrades and typically posted to the Bitcoin development forum on GitHub.com. A substantial majority of miners and Bitcoin users must consent to those software modifications by downloading the altered software or upgrade that implements the changes. Otherwise, the changes do not become a part of the Bitcoin network.
Since the Bitcoin network’s inception, changes to the network have been accepted by the vast majority of users and miners, ensuring that the network remains a coherent economic system. However, a developer or group of developers could propose a modification to the Bitcoin network that is not accepted by a vast majority of miners and users, but that is nonetheless accepted by a substantial population of participants in the Bitcoin network. In such a case, and if the modification is material or not compatible with the prior version of Bitcoin network software, a fork in the blockchain could develop and two separate Bitcoin networks could result with one running the pre-modification software program and the other running the modified version (i.e., a second “Bitcoin” network).
Historically, the Bitcoin community has worked to merge forked blockchains, but a prolonged or unresolved split could create confusion, disrupt the network and affect bitcoin’s stability. A fork could decrease confidence in bitcoin, negatively impacting its price and, in turn, our business and stock value.
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Widespread delays in the recording of transactions could erode confidence in the Bitcoin network and negatively impact our business.
To the extent that any miners cease to record transactions in solved blocks, such transactions will not be recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain, until a block is solved by a miner who does not require the payment of transaction fees. Currently, there are no known incentives for miners to actively not record transactions in solved blocks. However, to the extent that any such incentives arise (e.g., a collective movement among miners or one or more mining pools forcing blockchain users to pay transaction fees as a substitute for or in addition to the award of new bitcoin upon the solving of a block), actions of miners solving a significant number of blocks could delay the recording and confirmation of transactions on the blockchain. Widespread delays could increase the risk of “double-spending” (i.e., spending the same digital assets in more than one transaction), reduce trust in the network, and negatively impact bitcoin’s adoption and price. This could, in turn, affect the value of our bitcoin holdings and our financial performance.
Our reliance on third-party mining pools for a portion of our mining revenue exposes us to operational and financial risks.
While we rely largely on our internal mining pool, we additionally rely on external open-access mining pools to receive certain mining rewards and fees from the Bitcoin network. External pools have the sole discretion to modify the terms of our agreement at any time, and, therefore, our future rights and relationship with such pools may change.
In general, mining pools allow miners to combine their computing and processing power, increasing their chances of solving a block and getting rewarded by the Bitcoin network. The rewards are distributed by the pool operator proportionally to our contribution to the pool’s overall mining power. Should any external pool’s operator systems suffer downtime due to cyber-attacks, software failures or operational issues, our ability to mine and receive revenue would be negatively impacted. Furthermore, while we receive daily reports from the external pools detailing the total processing power provided to the pool and the proportion of that total processing power we provided to determine the distribution of rewards to us, we are dependent on the accuracy of each such pool’s recordkeeping. We have minimal recourse against external pool operators if we determine the proportion of the reward paid out to us by the mining pool operator is incorrect, aside from leaving the pools. If we cannot consistently obtain accurate proportionate rewards, our business and financial performance could suffer.
A 51% attack on the Bitcoin network could undermine security and market confidence.
The security of the Bitcoin network relies on its decentralized nature, which makes it difficult for any single entity to control a majority of the network’s mining power. However, if a malicious actor or coordinated group were to gain control of more than 50% of the total hashrate, a scenario known as a “51% attack,” they could theoretically manipulate the network by:
•reversing previously confirmed transactions, enabling double-spending of bitcoin;
•preventing new transactions from being confirmed, effectively halting the network; and
•excluding or modifying transactions, undermining the trustworthiness of the blockchain.
A 51% attack could occur through several mechanisms, including large-scale mining operations, through which a single entity invests in expansive mining facilities with enough computing power to control the majority of the network; mining pool dominance, in which mining pool becomes so large that it collectively controls more than 50% of the network’s hashrate; or botnet-based attacks, in which botnets (volunteers or hacked collections of computers controlled by networked software coordinating the actions of the computers) are used to hijack computing resources and direct them toward mining, effectively amassing enough power to launch an attack.
If a 51% attack were successfully executed, it could lead to a loss of confidence in bitcoin’s security and reliability, causing its price to drop significantly. Such an event could also prompt regulatory restrictions on cryptocurrency mining and trading, further exacerbating the negative impact on our business.
Even if a 51% attack does not occur, the mere perception that such an attack is possible could damage bitcoin’s credibility and discourage institutional adoption. Given our dependence on bitcoin mining, any loss of trust in the
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security of the Bitcoin network could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The scheduled reduction of bitcoin mining rewards due to halving events may decrease our revenue and could force us to cease mining operations.
Bitcoin undergoes a process known as “halving,” which reduces the reward miners receive for successfully mining a block. This process is designed to control the total supply of bitcoin and occurs approximately every four years. The most recent halving in April 2024 reduced mining rewards from 6.25 to 3.125 bitcoin per block, with the next halving expected in April 2028. Halvings are expected to continue until the total bitcoin supply reaches 21,000,000 bitcoin, projected around the year 2140.
Bitcoin prices have fluctuated around past halving events, and there is no guarantee that future halvings will result in price increases sufficient to offset reduced mining rewards. If bitcoin prices do not increase proportionately, our mining revenue may decline, potentially making continued operations financially unsustainable. If we reduce or cease mining, our business would be materially harmed, and investors could suffer a complete loss of their investment.
Further, reduced bitcoin mining incentives due to halving events may weaken network security and adversely affect our operations. Lower mining rewards could lead to a decrease in the hashrate securing the Bitcoin network if miners shut down operations due to reduced profitability. A lower hashrate could slow transaction confirmations and make the network more susceptible to malicious actors gaining control of 50% or more of the total processing power, increasing the risk of fraudulent transactions. Any weakening of Bitcoin network security could negatively impact our operations and harm investor confidence in our securities.
High operating costs and the need for professionalized mining operations may lead to downward pressure on bitcoin prices.
Over the past three years, digital asset mining operations have evolved from individual users mining with computer processors, graphics processing units and first-generation mining rigs. New processing power brought onto the digital asset networks is predominantly added by professionalized mining operations, which may use proprietary hardware or sophisticated machines. Professionalized mining operations require:
•significant capital investment tin specialized hardware;
•leasing operating space (often in data centers or warehousing facilities);
•substantial electricity consumption; and
•employing technicians to operate the mining sites.
Unlike past individual miners who may have held mined bitcoin for extended periods, professionalized mining operations typically sell newly mined bitcoin immediately to cover ongoing expenses. If mining profitability declines, professional miners may sell even more bitcoin into the market, increasing supply and potentially driving down bitcoin prices. If this price decline is significant, it could further reduce mining profitability, leading to additional sell-offs and a negative feedback loop that could harm our business and adversely affect an investment in our securities.
Our increasing reliance on immersion-cooling technology exposes us to operational and regulatory risks.
We are expanding our use of immersion-cooling technology for bitcoin mining, particularly at our Granbury, Texas facility. Immersion-cooling is an emerging, relatively untested technology at scale within the bitcoin mining industry, and we may face challenges in achieving the expected cooling performance. If we fail to optimize our immersion-cooling systems, our mining efficiency and profitability may suffer.
In addition, regulation of certain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively known as “PFAS,” may affect our operations. Governments in the United States and internationally have increased their focus on and regulation of PFAS which are present in some coolants used in our immersion-cooling systems. Developments in global chemical regulatory trends (including relating to PFAS) could lead to additional compliance costs, potential litigation, or operational disruptions, all of which could adversely affect our operations and financial condition.
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Loss of access to our private keys or data could result in a permanent loss of our digital assets.
Digital assets are controllable only by the possessor of both the unique public key and private key relating to the local or online digital wallet which hold the digital assets. We are required by the operators of digital asset networks to publish the public key relating to a digital wallet in use once we first verify a spending transaction from that digital wallet and broadcast such information into the respective network. We safeguard the private keys relating to our digital assets by relying on four custody providers, including New York Digital Investment Group LLC (“NYDIG”). To the extent a private key is lost, destroyed or otherwise compromised and no backup of the private key is accessible, we would be unable to access the digital assets and the private key would not be capable of being restored by the respective digital asset network. Any loss of private keys relating to digital wallets used to store our digital assets could adversely affect an investment in our securities.
Cybersecurity threats, including hacking and malware, could result in loss of digital assets, reputational damage, and business disruptions.
The digital asset industry is a frequent target for cyberattacks, including:
•unauthorized access to systems and data;
•intentional corruption, destruction, or loss of digital assets; and
•social engineering attacks targeting employees
A successful cybersecurity breach could result in the theft or loss of our bitcoin holdings, disruptions to our mining operations and significant reputational harm. As our digital asset holdings grow, we may become a more attractive target for cybercriminals, further increasing our risk exposure.
We rely on third-party custody providers’ solutions to safeguard digital assets from theft, loss, destruction or other issues relating to cyberattacks. Notwithstanding the safeguards implemented to protect our assets, the third-party security systems may not be impenetrable or free from defect, and any loss due to a security breach, software defect or event outside of our control will be borne by us.
Our systems and operational infrastructure may be breached due to the actions of outside parties, error or malfeasance of an employee or otherwise, and, as a result, an unauthorized party may obtain access to our private keys, data or digital assets. Additionally, outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce our employees to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to our systems or infrastructure.
Despite our efforts, we may be unable to anticipate security breaches, including cyberattacks, or implement adequate preventative measures since the hacking techniques used often are not recognized until launched against a target. If an actual or perceived breach of our security systems occurs, the market perception of the effectiveness of our controls could be harmed, which could adversely affect an investment in our securities.
Further, in the event of a security breach, we may suffer damage to our key systems and experience interruption in our services, loss of ability to control or operate our equipment or loss of critical data that could interrupt our operations. Such potential consequences of a security breach may adversely impact our reputation and brand and expose us to increased risks of governmental and regulatory investigation and enforcement actions, private litigation and other liability, any of which could adversely affect our business.
The irreversibility of digital asset transactions exposes us to risks of theft, loss and human error, which could negatively impact our business.
Digital asset transactions are not, from an administrative perspective, reversible without the consent and active participation of the recipient of the transaction or, in theory, control or consent of a majority of the processing power on that digital asset network. Once a transaction has been verified and recorded in a block that is added to the blockchain, an incorrect transfer of digital assets or a theft of digital assets generally will not be reversible, and we may not be capable of seeking compensation for any such transfer or theft.
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Although we regularly transfer digital assets to or from vendors, consultants and services providers, it is possible that, through computer or human error, or through theft or criminal action, such assets could be transferred in incorrect amounts or to unauthorized third parties.
To the extent we are unable to seek a corrective transaction to identify the third party which has received our digital assets through error or theft, we will be unable to revert or otherwise recover the impacted digital assets, and any such loss could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our reliance on third-party hosting providers for bitcoin mining operations exposes us to financial and operational risks.
We rely on third-party hosting providers to power a portion of our mining rigs. If these providers experience financial difficulties, including bankruptcy, or fail to meet their contractual obligations, our ability to mine bitcoin could be significantly impacted.
In 2022, our largest hosting provider, Compute North, filed for bankruptcy, resulting in a $55.7 million impairment charge for our company. Hosting contracts often include provisions that allow hosting providers to place liens on our mining equipment, which could delay or prevent us from reclaiming our assets in the event of a provider’s bankruptcy. Additionally, significant deposits made to hosting providers may be at risk if those funds are used for the provider’s operations or are otherwise inaccessible due to bankruptcy proceedings. These factors introduce uncertainty and financial risk that could materially impact our business.
Intellectual property disputes related to digital asset technology could threaten our ability to operate.
The legal landscape for digital assets remains uncertain, and third parties may assert intellectual property claims related to blockchain technology, digital asset transactions or source code. Any litigation, regardless of its merit, could create uncertainty about the long-term viability of digital asset networks and reduce investor confidence in our business. If a court upholds an intellectual property claim, we and other market participants could be restricted from accessing certain digital asset networks or conducting transactions, which could materially impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Variability in intellectual property laws may adversely affect our intellectual property position.
Intellectual property laws, and patent laws and regulations in particular, have been subject to significant variability either through administrative or legislative changes to such laws or regulations or changes or differences in judicial interpretation, and we expect that such variability will continue to occur. Additionally, intellectual property laws and regulations differ among states and countries. Variations in patent laws and regulations (or in interpretations of patent laws and regulations) in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of our intellectual property and may change the impact of third-party intellectual property on our business. Accordingly, we cannot predict the scope of patents that may be granted to us, the extent to which we will be able to enforce our patents against third parties or the extent to which third parties may be able to enforce their patents against us.
Developing and protecting new inventions and intellectual property is costly, time-consuming and uncertain.
Our pursuit to develop new inventions or intellectual property requires significant financial, managerial and other resources. There is no guarantee that these efforts will result in valuable intellectual property or generate revenue. Even if we develop new technologies, securing and maintaining a proprietary position presents additional risks, including:
•delays or failures in obtaining patents;
•patent challenges, including interference and opposition proceedings;
•competitors developing similar or alternative technologies; and
•complexity, cost, and uncertainty of patent enforcement.
Even issued patents may not provide meaningful protection, as they can be circumvented, challenged, invalidated or narrowed in scope. Additionally, if others have already patented similar technologies, we may need to obtain costly licenses or be restricted from commercializing certain products. Patent application delays could also impact our ability to generate revenue from internally developed patents and may cause us to miss market opportunities.
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Our future success depends on our ability to expand our organization to match the growth of our activities.
As our operations grow, the administrative demands and scaling demands upon us will grow, and our success will depend upon our ability to meet those demands. MARA and our subsidiaries require certain financial, managerial and other resources, which could create challenges to our ability to successfully manage our subsidiaries and operations and impact our ability to assure compliance with our policies, practices and procedures. These demands include, but are not limited to, increased executive, technical, operations, accounting, legal, staff support and general office services. We may need to hire additional qualified personnel, including contractors, to meet these demands, the cost and quality of which is dependent in part upon market factors outside of our control. Further, we will need to effectively manage the training and growth of our staff to maintain an efficient and effective workforce, and our failure to do so could adversely affect our business and operating results.
We are highly dependent on the continued service of our executive team.
We depend upon the efforts, experience, diligence, skill and network of business contacts of our senior management team, and our success will depend on their continued service. The departure of any of our executive officers or key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Prolonged power and internet outages, shortages or capacity constraints could harm our business.
Our mining operations rely on a significant amount of electricity and high-speed internet access. The success of any current or future mining site depends on securing sufficient, cost-effective power. We operate across a mix of fully owned campuses, leased properties, and active hosting agreements, each with unique power arrangements. If we are unable to obtain adequate electricity or experience prolonged internet outages, we may be forced to scale back or shut down operations.
Geopolitical events, including the war in Ukraine and high inflation, have driven up global energy prices. If power costs continue to rise, our ability to mine bitcoin profitably could be severely impacted. At times of high energy prices or shortages, we may voluntarily reduce power consumption or be required to do so under agreements with utility providers. In some cases, utilities or government entities may restrict or prohibit electricity use for mining operations, further limiting our ability to generate bitcoin.
As we expand to new sites, competition for locations with affordable power could intensify. Any limitations on power access could materially and adversely affect our business, financial performance and future growth.
Noise generated by our mining operations poses regulatory, legal, operational and reputational risks.
Our mining operations involve the use of a large number of high-powered miners and cooling systems that generate substantial noise. This noise poses risks to our business, including community complaints, reputational damage, litigation risk, regulatory risk, operational constraints, increased costs and opposition to expansion. These risks could lead to fines or penalties imposed by local governments, requirements to implement costly noise mitigation measures, restrictions on our operating hours, reduction of scale of our operations, stricter noise controls regulations on our operations, potential shutdown of data centers that cannot meet local noise regulations, damages resulting from lawsuits and difficulty obtaining necessary permits and approvals for expanding existing data centers or establishing new site operations. These risks may negatively affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Governmental Regulation and Enforcement
The rapidly evolving and uncertain regulatory landscape for cryptocurrencies exposes us to legal risks, compliance costs, and potential business disruptions.
Our business operates within a complex and evolving regulatory framework that includes a wide range of federal, state, and international laws, rules, and policies. These include regulations governing financial services, securities, commodities, money transmission, consumer lending, privacy, cybersecurity, taxation, anti-bribery, sanctions, anti-money laundering, and other areas. Many of these laws were enacted before the rise of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, creating uncertainty in their interpretation and application.
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Regulatory bodies, including the SEC, CFTC, federal energy regulators, and other financial oversight agencies, frequently modify and reinterpret existing rules, leading to inconsistencies across jurisdictions. As a result, we must exercise judgment in determining how certain laws apply to our operations, and regulators may not always agree with our interpretations. If we are found to be in violation of any applicable laws, we could face significant fines, license revocations, product or service restrictions, reputational damage, and other regulatory consequences that could materially impact our business.
Additionally, failures of major cryptocurrency trading platforms and lenders, such as FTX, Celsius, Voyager, and Three Arrows Capital, have intensified calls for stricter oversight of the crypto economy. In response, legislative and regulatory bodies in the U.S. and abroad are actively considering new regulations that could affect our operations. Increased scrutiny and regulatory actions may subject us to audits, examinations, investigations, and enforcement proceedings that could disrupt our business and increase compliance costs
Given the unpredictable nature of cryptocurrency regulation and enforcement, any adverse regulatory developments, whether through new laws, changing interpretations, or enforcement actions, could negatively impact our reputation, business operations, financial condition, and ability to offer competitive products and services.
The unregulated nature and lack of transparency of many bitcoin trading venues may expose us to fraud, security failures, and operational risks, potentially harming the value of our bitcoin holdings.
Bitcoin trading venues are relatively new and, in some cases, operate with minimal regulation. Many exchanges do not provide the public with significant information about their ownership, management, corporate practices, or regulatory compliance. As a result, confidence in bitcoin trading venues could decline, especially if prominent exchanges suffer fraud, business failures, cyberattacks, or government-imposed restrictions.
A lack of stability in the broader bitcoin market or the closure of key trading venues could lead to increased price volatility. If investors view our common stock as linked to our bitcoin holdings, these market disruptions could negatively impact the market value of our stock.
If bitcoin is classified as a security, we may be subject to extensive regulation, which could result in significant costs or force us to cease certain operations.
Regulatory changes or interpretations that classify bitcoin as a security under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), could require us to register and comply with additional regulations. Compliance with these requirements could impose extraordinary, non-recurring expenses on our business. If the costs and regulatory burdens become too great, we may be forced to modify or cease certain operations, which could be detrimental to our investors.
The SEC has previously indicated that certain digital assets may be considered securities depending on their structure and use. While no formal regulations have been proposed to classify bitcoin as a security, future developments could change its legal status, requiring us to comply with securities laws. If we fail to do so, we may be forced to discontinue some or all of our business activities, negatively impacting investments in our securities.
If the SEC or other regulators determine that bitcoin or other digital assets we hold qualify as securities, we may be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. This classification would subject us to additional periodic reporting, disclosure requirements, and regulatory compliance obligations, significantly increasing our operational costs.
Although we do not currently engage in investing, reinvesting, or trading securities, and we do not hold ourselves out as an investment company, we could inadvertently be deemed one under the Investment Company Act. If we are unable to rely on an exclusion, we would be required to register with the SEC, which could impose additional financial and regulatory burdens.
Furthermore, state regulators may conclude that the digital assets we hold are securities under state laws, requiring us to comply with state-specific securities regulations. States like California have stricter definitions of “investment contracts” than the SEC, increasing the risk of additional regulatory scrutiny.
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Any additional registration requirements, whether due to regulatory developments or an inadvertent classification as an investment company, could result in extraordinary compliance costs and adversely impact an investment in our securities. If we determine that compliance is too costly, we may seek to cease certain or all operations, which could lead to significant investment losses for our shareholders.
Our bitcoin holdings could subject us to regulatory scrutiny and potential restrictions on future transactions.
Regulators are increasingly focused on the use of digital assets in illicit activities, such as money laundering and sanctions violations. We maintain policies designed to comply with anti-money laundering and sanctions laws and acquire bitcoin only from regulated entities. However, if we are found to have unknowingly purchased bitcoin from bad actors or sanctioned individuals, we could face regulatory proceedings, and our ability to engage in future bitcoin transactions may be restricted or prohibited.
Operating in foreign jurisdictions exposes us to political, legal, and regulatory risks that could negatively impact our financial condition.
Expanding our business internationally subjects us to the political, legal, and fiscal instability of different countries. Governments may enact policies that disrupt our operations, such as forced divestment, expropriation of assets, contract cancellations, additional taxes, or regulatory changes that increase our compliance burden. These actions could have a material adverse effect on our earnings, cash flow, and financial stability.
Additionally, political and social factors may lead to unpredictable judicial rulings that adversely affect our business. Some governments have unilaterally amended or canceled existing agreements, failed to honor contractual commitments, or intervened in disputes between private parties. In some cases, conflicting legal obligations in different jurisdictions could expose us to potential civil or criminal sanctions.
These risks, whether occurring individually or in combination, could negatively impact our financial performance and increase our exposure to regulatory investigations, litigation, and financial penalties.
Target energy regulations and taxes could increase our costs and adversely affect our business.
Bitcoin mining requires significant energy consumption, and our operations could be negatively impacted by government regulations or taxes specifically targeting energy usage in digital asset mining. Federal, state or local authorities may impose restrictions on energy consumption, mandate the use of renewable energy sources or implement higher electricity rates for mining operations, increasing our operating costs. Additionally, governments may introduce taxes on energy usage or carbon emissions that disproportionately affect bitcoin miners, further reducing our profitability. If regulatory or tax burdens make mining economically unviable in certain jurisdictions, we may be forced to relocate operations, secure alternative power sources at higher costs or scale back our mining activities, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Changes in regulatory interpretations could require us to register as a money services business or money transmitter, leading to increased compliance costs or operational shutdowns.
If regulatory changes or interpretations require us to register as a money services business with FinCEN under the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, or as a money transmitter under state laws, we may be subject to extensive regulatory requirements, resulting in significant compliance costs and operational burdens. In such a case, we may incur extraordinary expenses to meet these requirements or, alternatively, may determine that continued operations are not viable. If we decide to cease certain operations in response to new regulatory obligations, such actions could occur at a time that is unfavorable to investors.
Multiple states have implemented or proposed regulatory frameworks for digital asset businesses. Compliance with such state-specific regulations may increase costs or impact our business operations. Furthermore, if we or our service providers are unable to comply with evolving federal or state regulations, we may be forced to dissolve or liquidate certain operations, which could materially impact our investors.
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The classification of bitcoin as a commodity could subject us to additional CFTC regulation, resulting in significant compliance costs or the cessation of certain operations.
Under current interpretations, bitcoin is classified as a commodity under the Commodity Exchange Act and is subject to regulation by the CFTC. If our activities require CFTC registration, we may be required to comply with extensive regulatory obligations, which could result in significant costs and operational disruptions. Additionally, current and future legislative or regulatory developments, including new CFTC interpretations, could further impact how bitcoin and bitcoin derivatives are classified and traded.
If bitcoin is further regulated as a commodity, we may be required to register as a commodity pool operator and register the Company as a commodity pool with the CFTC through the National Futures Association. Compliance with these additional regulatory requirements could result in substantial, non-recurring expenses, adversely affecting an investment in our securities. If we determine not to comply with such regulations, we may be forced to cease certain operations, which could negatively impact our investors.
Changes in tax laws or IRS guidance regarding bitcoin’s classification could negatively impact our business and stockholders.
If federal or state tax authorities change bitcoin’s classification from property to another category, such as currency or financial asset, the resulting tax implications could negatively affect us and our stockholders. Currently, the IRS treats bitcoin as property, which allows for capital gains treatment but also imposes certain tax reporting requirements, particularly for transactions classified as barter exchanges. Any changes in tax treatment could materially impact the financial and operational aspects of our business and adversely affect an investment in our securities.
Our interactions with the Bitcoin network may expose us to transactions with sanctioned individuals, leading to regulatory penalties and reputational harm.
The Office of Financial Assets Control (“OFAC”) of the U.S. Department of Treasury requires us to comply with its sanction program and not conduct business with persons named on its SDN list. However, because of the pseudonymous nature of blockchain transactions we may inadvertently and without our knowledge engage in transactions with persons named on OFAC’s SDN list. Our policy prohibits any transactions with such SDN individuals, and we take all commercially reasonable steps to avoid such transactions, but we may not be adequately capable of determining the ultimate identity of the individual with whom we transact with respect to selling cryptocurrency assets. Moreover, there is a risk that some bad actors will continue to attempt to use cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, as a potential means of avoiding federally imposed sanctions, such as those imposed in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
We are unable to predict the nature or extent of new and proposed legislation and regulation affecting the cryptocurrency industry, or the potential impact of the use of cryptocurrencies by SDN or other blocked or sanctioned persons, which could have material adverse effects on our business and our industry more broadly. Further, we may be subject to investigation, administrative or court proceedings, and civil or criminal monetary fines and penalties as a result of any regulatory enforcement actions, all of which could harm our reputation and affect the value of our common stock.
Changing environmental regulations and public energy policies could increase our costs and threaten our bitcoin mining operations.
Bitcoin mining requires substantial energy consumption, and our ability to operate profitably depends on securing electricity at competitive rates. Our strategic expansion plans rely on assumptions about current energy regulations and policies. If new environmental or energy regulations are enacted, or if existing ones change, we may face increased costs or operational limitations that could impact our business model.
The lack of consistent climate legislation creates uncertainty for our industry, and bitcoin mining’s high energy usage makes it a potential target for future regulations. New laws could impose higher energy costs, require additional capital investments, mandate environmental monitoring, or impose other compliance burdens. Additionally, bitcoin miners in Texas have recently been required to disclose extensive information about their
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energy usage to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which could lead to negative public perception and further regulatory scrutiny.
The ongoing debate over climate change policies adds further uncertainty to our financial outlook. Even without regulatory changes, negative publicity regarding bitcoin mining’s environmental impact could damage our reputation and affect our financial condition.
Increased scrutiny and changing expectations from stockholders with respect to our environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) practices and the impacts of climate change may result in additional costs or risks.
Companies across many industries are facing increasing scrutiny related to their ESG practices. Investor advocacy groups, certain institutional investors, investment funds and other influential investors are also increasingly focused on ESG practices and in recent years have placed increasing importance on the non-financial impacts of their investments. Conversely, so-called “anti-ESG” and “anti-DEI” sentiment has also gained momentum across the United States, with several state and federal authorities having enacted or proposed “anti-ESG” policies or legislation, issued executive orders and legal opinions and engaged in related investigations and litigation. If our policies or practices are viewed as being in contradiction of such “anti-ESG” or “anti-DEI” policies, legislation executive orders or legal opinions, our reputation may be harmed and our business or financial condition may be adversely affected.
The SEC adopted a rule that requires climate disclosures in periodic and other filings with the SEC covering fiscal years beginning in 2025, which rule has been stayed pending the completion of a judicial review. To comply with this SEC rule, if the rule goes into effect in its current form, we will be required to establish additional internal controls, engage additional consultants and incur additional costs related to evaluating, managing and reporting on our environmental impact and climate-related risks and opportunities. If we fail to implement sufficient oversight or accurately capture and disclose on environmental matters, our reputation, business, operating results and financial condition may be materially adversely affected. Furthermore, increased public awareness and concern regarding environmental risks, including global climate change, may result in increased public scrutiny of our business and our industry, and our management team may divert significant time and energy away from our operations and towards responding to such scrutiny.
In addition, the physical risks of climate change may impact the availability and cost of materials and natural resources, sources and supplies of energy, and demand for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and could increase our insurance and other operating costs, including, potentially, to repair damage incurred as a result of extreme weather events or to renovate or retrofit facilities to better withstand extreme weather events. If environmental laws or regulations or industry standards are either changed or adopted and impose significant operational restrictions and compliance requirements on our operations, or if our operations are disrupted due to physical impacts of climate change, our business, capital expenditures, results of operations, financial condition and competitive position could be negatively impacted.
Risks Relating to Our Common Stock
Our stock price is volatile and subject to significant fluctuations.
The market price of our common stock is highly volatile and may fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control, including:
•changes in our industry, particularly those affecting bitcoin and other digital assets;
•variability in bitcoin pricing;
•competitive pricing pressures;
•our ability to obtain working capital financing;
•additions or departures of key personnel;
•sales of our common stock;
•our ability to execute our business plan effectively;
•operating results that fall below expectations;
•loss of strategic relationships;
•regulatory developments; and
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•broader economic and external factors.
Additionally, securities markets have historically experienced substantial price and volume fluctuations unrelated to specific companies' performance. Such market fluctuations could materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Our ongoing at-the-market stock issuances contribute to stockholder dilution and may intensify due to our HODL strategy.
Our at-the-market (“ATM”) offerings have contributed to dilution, and if we continue selling shares through future ATM offerings, stockholders will experience further dilution. Additionally, our strategy of holding bitcoin on our balance sheet may necessitate increased stock issuances through ATM offerings to fund operations, exacerbating dilution concerns. Investors should be aware that continued stock issuances may negatively impact the value of their holdings.
The issuance, conversion, or exercise of convertible notes and other convertible securities, options, and warrants will dilute our stockholders' ownership.
We have issued, and may continue to issue, convertible securities, options, and warrants to officers, directors, consultants, and certain stockholders. Additionally, we have issued convertible notes to certain institutional investors in private offerings. The exercise, conversion, or exchange of these instruments, including for other securities, will dilute existing stockholders’ ownership percentages. This dilution may negatively impact our ability to obtain additional capital. Holders of these securities may choose to exercise or convert them at times when we could otherwise secure equity capital on more favorable terms or when our common stock is trading above the exercise or conversion price.
Uncertainty in accounting standards for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies may lead to financial restatements and business disruptions.
Limited precedent exists for the financial accounting of bitcoin and other cryptocurrency assets. Future changes in regulatory or accounting standards could require us to alter our accounting practices and restate financial statements, potentially affecting how we account for newly mined cryptocurrency rewards. Such changes could materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition, and operating results. A restatement may also raise concerns about our ability to continue as a going concern, negatively affecting investor confidence and the value of cryptocurrencies we hold or acquire.
The sale or availability of a substantial number of shares of our common stock may negatively impact our stock price.
If a significant number of our stockholders sell shares in the public market following the expiration of statutory holding periods or lock-up agreements, under Rule 144, or after the exercise of outstanding warrants or convertible securities, it could create an “overhang” effect. This anticipated sell-off could depress our stock price, regardless of actual sales activity. The presence of an overhang may also hinder our ability to raise additional capital through equity or equity-related securities on favorable terms.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY
Information Security Program
The mission of our information security organization is to design, implement, and maintain an information security program that protects our systems, services, and data against unauthorized access, disclosure, modification, damage, and loss. The information security organization is comprised of internal and external security and technology professionals. We continue to make investments in information security resources to mature, expand, and adapt our
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capabilities to address emerging cybersecurity risks and threats. The information security organization is overseen by the Information Security Advisory Team (the “ISAT”), further detailed under the caption “Cybersecurity Governance” below.
Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy
Cybersecurity risk management is one component of our information security program that guides continuous improvement to, and evaluates the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our critical systems, data, and operations.
Our approach to controls and risk management is based on guidance from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) and the CryptoCurrency Security Standard (“CCSS”). This does not mean that we meet any particular technical standards, specifications, or requirements, but rather that we use the NIST and CCSS as a guide to help us identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity controls and risks relevant to our business.
Our cybersecurity risk management program includes:
•Identifying cybersecurity risks that could impact our facilities, third-party vendors/partners, operations, critical systems, information, and broader enterprise information technology (“IT”) environment. Risks are informed by threat intelligence, current and historical adversarial activity, and industry specify threats;
•Performing a cybersecurity risk assessment to evaluate our readiness if the risks were to materialize; and
•Ensuring risk is addressed and tracking any necessary remediation through an action plan.
In addition, we periodically engage third-party consultants and providers to assist us in assessing, testing, enhancing and monitoring our cybersecurity risk management programs and responding to any incidents. These third parties work in conjunction with the ISAT in an effort to continuously improve our cybersecurity risk posture. Examples of third-party actions include risk assessments and penetration testing of our systems.
While we face a number of ongoing cybersecurity risks in connection with our business, such risks have not materially affected us to date, including our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition.
Cybersecurity Governance
Our Board of Directors (the “Board”) considers cybersecurity risk as part of its risk oversight function and has delegated the oversight of cybersecurity and other IT risks to the Board’s Risk and Audit Committee. As part of this oversight, we created the ISAT.The ISAT is comprised of cybersecurity consultants and senior managers and executives from multiple functions within MARA, including IT, finance, legal, internal audit and operations. Members of the ISAT have extensive professional experience in cybersecurity, software engineering and information technology and hold industry-recognized certifications, including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP). The ISAT oversees our information security program and our strategy, including management’s implementation of cybersecurity risk management. The ISAT meets at least semi-annually to discuss matters involving cybersecurity risks.
The ISAT ultimately provides information to our Risk and Audit Committee regarding its activities, including those related to cybersecurity risks. The Risk and Audit Committee also receives a briefing and continuing education from a member of the ISAT relating to our cybersecurity risk management program at least annually. The ISAT is responsible for notifying the Risk and Audit Committee of material cybersecurity incidents.
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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
As of December 31, 2024, we leased office space in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which serves as our corporate headquarters. We lease additional office space throughout the United States. To conduct our digital asset operations, we also own and lease facilities throughout the United States.
We believe our facilities are appropriately utilized and suitable to meet the requirements of our present and foreseeable future operations to conduct our business. Refer to Part I, Item 1. Business, “Operations” included in this Annual Report for further information, including locations and descriptions of our significant properties, which information is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Other than as disclosed in Note 19 - Legal Proceedings in the notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report, we are presently not a party to any material litigation or regulatory proceeding and are not aware of any pending or threatened litigation or regulatory proceeding against us which, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition or cash flows.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
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PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
Our common stock is currently listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “MARA.”
Holders
As of December 31, 2024, there were approximately 45holders of record of our common stock.
Dividends
We have never paid cash dividends on our capital stock and have no current plans to do so in the foreseeable future.
Performance Graph
The following graph compares a cumulative five-year period from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2024, of total return for our common stock (MARA), the Nasdaq Composite Index, our self-constructed Peer Group Index and the S&P 600 Small Cap Index assuming an aggregate initial investment in each of $100 on December 31, 2019. Such returns are based on historical results and are not intended to suggest future performance.
Our self-constructed Peer Group Index consists of members of our peer group with available publicly traded market data as of, and subsequent to, December 31, 2019, and consists of: Bitfarms Ltd. (BITF), CleanSpark, Inc. (CLSK), HIVE Digital Technologies Ltd. (HIVE) and Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT).
ITEM 6. [RESERVED]
Not applicable.
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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and the related notes and other financial information included elsewhere in this Annual Report. Some of the information contained in this MD&A or set forth elsewhere in this Annual Report, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Please review Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of this Annual Report for a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following MD&A.
BUSINESS OVERVIEW
MARA is a vertically integrated energy and digital infrastructure company that leverages high-intensity compute, such as bitcoin mining, to monetize underutilized energy assets and optimize power management. As of December 31, 2024, our total energy portfolio consisted of approximately 1.7 gigawatts (“GW”) of capacity with 16 data centers deployed across North America, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America. We believe we are the world’s largest publicly traded bitcoin mining company, with the majority of our production in the United States.
Historically, we were focused on establishing MARA as the largest and most efficient bitcoin miner. As of December 31, 2024, we operated approximately 400,000 bitcoin mining ASICs, capable of producing 53.2 EH/s with an efficiency of 19.2 joules per terahash, which is among the most efficient in the industry.
In 2024, we began our strategic transformation into a vertically integrated energy and digital infrastructure company to provide services and products, such as load management and immersion cooling systems, to data center operators and the energy sector. To support this transformation, we secured 300% more energy capacity, expanding our total energy portfolio from approximately 0.5 GW to approximately 1.7 GW, while increasing our owned data center portfolio capacity from nearly zero at the beginning of 2024 to approximately 70% to date. As part of this initiative, we secured approximately 1.2 GW of nameplate capacity across the United States.
In 2024, we adopted a full HODL strategy, retaining all bitcoin mined in our operations or opportunistically purchased in the open market using available cash and proceeds from private offerings of an aggregate principal amount of $2.2 billion of 2024 Convertible Notes. Using available cash and proceeds from the 2024 Convertible Notes, we purchased 22,065 bitcoin at an average price of $87,205 per bitcoin in 2024. As of December 31, 2024, we held approximately 44,893 bitcoin, of which 10,374 were loaned or collateralized.
In 2025, we expect to remain the dominant player in bitcoin mining while expanding our footprint in energy generation and investing in research and development to establish our presence in AI and adjacent markets, creating additional revenue opportunities over the long term. We believe the AI industry is shifting towards inference computing, which requires distributed, low-latency, and energy-efficient infrastructure. To support this shift, we are developing modular at the edge infrastructure solutions, including next-generation two-phase immersion cooling (“2PIC”) systems designed to improve efficiency and sustainability. We are also exploring power management solutions, including load balancing, to provide services to the variable energy demands of AI inference workloads. We intend to continue vertically integrating and further reduce energy costs.
HIGHLIGHTS
2024 was a transformative year for MARA, as we more than doubled our exahash, significantly enhancing our mining capabilities and reinforcing our position as a leader in the bitcoin mining space. Historically, we utilized an asset-light strategy to significantly grow our market share. In 2024, we strategically transitioned into a vertically integrated energy and digital infrastructure company by acquiring five data centers which we own and operate, increasing our percentage of owned capacity to approximately 70%. This is a critical step toward achieving greater operational control and efficiency.
Additionally, we strengthened our bitcoin holdings through both mining activities and strategic use of convertible debt, further enhancing our financial position. As we continue to scale, our goal is for MARA to be recognized
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primarily as an energy and digital infrastructure company, transforming every available stranded electron into digital gold – bitcoin – while unlocking new value for our stakeholders in the evolving energy and digital asset landscape.
Acquisitions
•Granbury, TX and Kearney, NE: In January 2024, we acquired two operational bitcoin mining sites totaling 390 MW of nameplate capacity. We believe our state-of-the-art 290 MW nameplate capacity data center in Granbury is one of the largest containerized liquid immersion-cooled sites worldwide. Since acquiring the site, profitability at the site has nearly doubled, we grew our hashrate to 12.1 EH/s in December 2024 and cost per petahash improved 45% during the year to 29.8. In addition, we have made significant investments in the local community and continue to be a strategic partner.
•Garden City, TX: In April 2024, we acquired an operational bitcoin mining site with 132 megawatts of operational capacity and 200 MW of nameplate capacity.
•Hannibal, Hopedale, and Findlay, OH: In November 2024, we acquired two operational data centers with 222 MW of interconnect-approved capacity. In addition to the acquired data centers, we began developing a 150 MW greenfield operational data center in Findlay, Ohio.
•Hansford County, TX: In February 2025, we acquired a wind farm with 240 MW of interconnection capacity and 114 MW of nameplate wind capacity.
Digital Assets
•Bitcoin Halving: On April 19, 2024, a halving event occurred on the Bitcoin network. The halving event reduced the block subsidy by half from 6.25 to 3.125 bitcoin per block. Transaction fees, which together with the block subsidy, comprise the block reward for successfully solving a block, are not directly impacted by the halving.
•Kaspa Mining: During the second quarter of 2024, we announced our Kaspa mining operations, and have continued to utilize Kaspa sales proceeds to fund operations, thereby enabling us to hold a larger amount of bitcoin.
•Line of Credit: In October 2024, we secured a $200.0 million line of credit, collateralized by a portion of our bitcoin holdings. We used the funds for general corporate purposes. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 2,997 bitcoin remained collateralized in connection with the line of credit.
•Bitcoin Lending Arrangements: Throughout the fourth quarter of 2024, we entered into lending arrangements with various counterparties to generate yield from our loaned bitcoin. As of December 31, 2024, a total of 7,377 bitcoin, or approximately $688.7 million, has been loaned to counterparties.
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Bitcoin HODL and Acquisition Strategy
During 2024, we adopted a HODL strategy, retaining all bitcoin mined in our operations or opportunistically purchased in the open market using available cash and proceeds from private offerings of an aggregate principal amount of $2.2 billion of 2024 Convertible Notes in private offerings. Using available cash and proceeds from the 2024 Convertible Notes, we purchased 22,065 bitcoin at an average price of $87,205 per bitcoin in 2024.
The following table presents our bitcoin digital asset holdings (including loaned and collateralized bitcoin) and the fair value per coin:
Quantity Fair Value per bitcoin
Low Cost Strategy
We aim not only to own and operate our infrastructure, but also energy generation assets. To achieve this, we will continue to identify potential sites where we can generate low cost energy. By owning energy assets, we can optimize how power is consumed, stored, and distributed. This allows us to better serve data centers, AI operators, and energy markets. We can co-locate with them, balance their load, and generate revenue to offset costs in ways that grid-reliant miners simply cannot. We have spent the last several months methodically executing a plan to build infrastructure that is not just about mining bitcoin, but about being the lowest-cost producer in an environment where efficiency and adaptability are paramount.
•We launched a 25 MW micro data center initiative at wellheads in Texas and North Dakota, converting excess flared gas into power for our operations. These sites reduce our reliance on grid power and provide us with the lowest cost per bitcoin of our currently operational sites.
•The wind farm in Hansford County, Texas will utilize prior-generation ASIC mining hardware to provide an avenue for the hardware to continue operating profitably beyond its normal lifecycle.
•In Finland, we deployed two pilot projects to recycle heat from our operations, providing heat to communities with a total population of approximately 80,000 residents. These sites offset our production costs through heat sales while reducing the local communities’ reliance on high carbon emitting biomass and delivering renewable and more affordable heating to communities.
TRENDS AND UNCERTAINTIES IMPACTING OUR BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
Bitcoin Value
Our revenues are generally comprised of block rewards earned in bitcoin as a result of successfully solving blocks, and transaction fees earned for verifying transactions in support of the blockchain. After the halving event of April 2024, the current reward for each solved block is equal to 3.125 bitcoin plus transaction fees. The impacts of halving on our results of operations and financial condition may be exacerbated by changes in the market value of bitcoin, which has historically been subject to significant volatility. For example, as of December 31, 2024, the price of a bitcoin was $93,354, compared to $42,288 as of December 31, 2023. We held approximately 44,893 bitcoin, including loaned and collateralized bitcoin, on our Consolidated Balance Sheets with a carrying value of approximately $4.2 billion as of December 31, 2024, which value may be materially impacted as the market value of bitcoin fluctuates. Management believes, given our recent investments, coupled with our relative position and liquidity, we are well-positioned to execute on our long-term growth strategy.
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Mining Rig Capacity, Efficiency, and Hashrate
In response to an increased demand for bitcoin, we anticipate additional mining operators entering the market and existing competitors scaling their operations, which will grow the blockchain’s network hashrate and difficulty associated with solving a block. As the overall hashrate and difficulty of the Bitcoin network increases, we will need to continue growing our hashrate and remain competitive. During 2024, we mined 9,430 bitcoin, a decrease of 3,422 bitcoin, or 27%, over the prior year period. As of December 31, 2024, we operated approximately 400,000 mining rigs globally, with energized hashrate approximately 53.2 exahashes per second. To stay competitive, we remain focused on strategically deploying additional mining rigs and scaling our operations, while managing our fleet as it ages along the obsolescence curve. In addition, we continuously evaluate strategic opportunities to support our growth strategy, and seek to enhance operational efficiencies by utilizing efficient mining rigs and securing contracts with price protection clauses.
Energy Cost
Energy cost is the most significant cost driver for mining and represented 40.8%, as a percentage of our owned mining revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024. This excludes energy costs from third party hosted sites.
Energy cost can be highly volatile and sensitive to geopolitical events and weather conditions, such as winter storms and earthquakes, which impact supply and demand for power regionally. All of our owned mining sites and our hosted miners are subject to variable prices and market rate fluctuations with respect to wholesale energy costs. Such costs are governed by various power purchase agreements, and energy prices can change hour to hour and by location. While this renders energy prices less predictable, it also gives us greater ability and flexibility to actively manage the energy we consume with a goal of increasing profitability and energy efficiency. When such events occur, we may curtail our operations to avoid using power at increased rates. Although we do not directly receive compensation for curtailment, the dispatchable load of our bitcoin mining operations helps balance the grid and provides electricity to communities when in need. The average price for direct energy we paid in our owned facilities for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $0.04 per KWh.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
In order to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the information used by our management team in financial and operational decision-making, we supplement our Consolidated Financial Statements that have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) with the non-GAAP financial measures of adjusted EBITDA and total margin excluding depreciation and amortization.
We define adjusted EBITDA as (a) GAAP net income plus (b) adjustments to add back the impacts of (1) interest, (2) income taxes, (3) depreciation and amortization and (4) adjustments for non-cash and/or non-recurring items which currently include (i) stock compensation expense, (ii) change in fair value of derivative instrument, (iii) early termination expenses and other, (iv) net gain from extinguishment of debt. We define total margin excluding depreciation and amortization as (a) GAAP total margin less (b) depreciation and amortization.
Management uses adjusted EBITDA and total margin excluding depreciation and amortization, along with the supplemental information provided herein, as a means of understanding, managing and evaluating business performance and to help inform operating decision-making. We rely primarily on our Consolidated Financial Statements to understand, manage and evaluate our financial performance and uses non-GAAP financial measures only supplementally.
We believe that adjusted EBITDA and total margin excluding depreciation and amortization are useful measures to us and to our investors because they exclude certain financial, capital structure and non-cash items that we do not believe directly reflect our core operations and may not be indicative of our recurring operations, in part because they may vary widely across time and within our industry independent of the performance of our core operations. We believe that excluding these items enables us to more effectively evaluate our performance period-over-period and relative to our competitors.
Adjusted EBITDA and total margin excluding depreciation and amortization are not recognized measurements under GAAP. When analyzing our operating results, investors should use them in addition to, but not as an
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alternative for, the most directly comparable financial results calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Because our calculation of these non-GAAP financial measures may differ from other companies, our presentation of these measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.
Certain prior period information has been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
In accordance with Item 303 of Regulation S-K, we have excluded the discussion of 2022 results in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” as this discussion can be found in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 28, 2024, as amended by Amendment No.1 filed on May 24, 2024.
The following table sets forth items derived from our Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Year Ended December 31, Favorable
(dollars in thousands) 2024 2023 (Unfavorable)
Revenues
Costs and expenses
Cost of revenues
Operating expenses
Change in fair value of derivative instrument (2,043) — (2,043)
Amortization of intangible assets (22,919) — (22,919)
Change in fair value of digital assets - receivable, net 299,796 — 299,796
Equity in net earnings of unconsolidated affiliate (1,505) (617) (888)
Other non-operating loss (8,391) — (8,391)
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Supplemental information:
Average bitcoin per day, in whole BTC 25.8 35.2 (9.4)
Energized Hashrate (Exahashes per second) - at end of period (2) 53.2 24.7 28.5
Direct Energy Cost per bitcoin (3) $ 28,801 $ — $ 28,801
Cash Cost per kilowatt per hour (“KWh”) (4) 0.039 — 0.039
Cost per Petahash per day (5) $ 38.6 $ 46.4 $ 7.8
Average cost of BTC purchased (7) $ 87,205 N/A N/A
Share of available miner rewards 4.1 % 3.6 % 0.5 %
Transaction fees as a percentage of total 6.2 % 7.7 % (1.5) %
Reconciliation to Adjusted EBITDA:
Change in fair value of derivative instrument 2,043 — 2,043
Early termination expenses and other (9) 33,825 — 33,825
Reconciliation to Total margin excluding depreciation and amortization:
Total margin excluding depreciation and amortization:
(1)Includes 382 and 112 bitcoin representing our share of the equity method investee, the ADGM entity, for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
(2)We define Energized Hashrate as the total hashrate that could theoretically be generated if all mining rigs that have been operational are currently in operation and running at 100% of manufacturers’ specifications. We use this metric as an indicator of progress in bringing mining rigs online. We believe this metric is a useful indicator of potential bitcoin production. However, metrics cannot be tied directly to any production level expected to be actually achieved as (a) there may be delays in the energization of hashrate (b) we cannot predict when operational mining rigs may be offline for any reason, including curtailment or machine failure and (c) we cannot predict Global Hashrate (and therefore our share of the Global Hashrate), which has a significant impact on our ability to generate bitcoin in any given period.
(3) Direct Energy Cost per bitcoin is calculated as the amounts paid to utility companies for power consumed divided by the quantity of bitcoin produced during the period related to our owned mining operations.
(4) Cost per KWh is calculated using the amounts paid to utility companies for power consumed divided by the KWh consumed. Prior to 2024, the Company operated an asset-light strategy and did not own mining facilities.
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(5) Cost per Petahash per day is calculated using mining cost of revenues, excluding depreciation and amortization, divided by the daily average operational hashrate online during the period, excluding our share of the hashrate for the equity method investee, the ADGM Entity, by a factor of 1,000.
(6) BTC Yield is a key performance indicator that represents the percentage change period-to-period of the ratio between our bitcoin holdings and our Assumed Fully Diluted Shares Outstanding. Assumed Fully Diluted Shares Outstanding refers to the aggregate of our actual shares of common stock outstanding as of the end of the applicable period plus all additional shares that would result from the assumed conversion of all outstanding convertible notes, exercise of all outstanding warrants and settlement of all outstanding restricted stock units and performance-based restricted stock units.
(7)Average cost of BTC mined is calculated using the bitcoin mining cost of revenues, excluding depreciation and amortization, divided by the bitcoin production, excluding our share of the bitcoin produced for the equity method investee, the ADGM entity. Average cost of BTC produced is calculated using the total cost of bitcoin purchased divided by the total bitcoin purchased.
(8) Includes approximately $12.4 million and $2.1 million of depreciation and amortization from our share in the results of our equity method investee, the ADGM entity, reported in “Equity in net earnings of unconsolidated affiliate” for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(9) Early termination expenses represent amounts recognized as the cost to early terminate data center hosting agreements in addition to the gain on investments during the period.
Revenues: We generated revenues of $656.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $387.5 million in the prior year period. The $268.9 million or approximately 69% increase in revenues was primarily driven by a $326.7 million increase in the average price of bitcoin mined, which was partially offset by a $111.3 million decrease in bitcoin production due to the April 2024 halving, and the inclusion of $31.6 million in revenues generated from providing hosting services as a result of acquisitions during 2024. The average price of bitcoin mined was 120% higher than the average price of bitcoin mined in the prior year period and average daily bitcoin production was 25.8 bitcoin in the current year period compared with 35.2 in the prior year period. We produced 3,422 less bitcoin for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period primarily due to the halving event in April 2024, increase in global hashrate and the impact of unexpected equipment failures at third-party operated sites and transmission line maintenance during the second and third quarters of 2024, partially offset by an increase in our share of the network hashrate.
Cost of revenues – mining during the year ended December 31, 2024 totaled $381.6 million compared to $223.3 million in the prior year period. The $158.3 million or approximately 71% increase was primarily driven by the growth in our hashrate from the deployment and energization of mining rigs compared to the prior year period. Partially offsetting the increase was the impact of unexpected equipment failures and transmission line maintenance, which resulted in downtime that reduced hosting and energy costs. We believe Cost per Petahash per day to be a key metric to evaluate our operating costs. Our Cost per Petahash per day improved to $38.6 from $46.4, or approximately 17%, in the year ended December 31, 2024 when compared to the prior year period, primarily due to strategic acquisitions with more efficient cost structures and deployment of more efficient miners. Our Direct Energy Cost per bitcoin for owned mining sites was $28,801.
Cost of revenues – hosting services during the year ended December 31, 2024 totaled $30.4 million which includes cost of power and other hosting related operating costs to provide hosting services as a result of the GC Data Center Acquisition and the Arkon Acquisition. As of December 31, 2024, we exited a majority of our hosting facilities to strategically focus on our owned mining business.
Cost of revenues – depreciation and amortization during the year ended December 31, 2024 totaled $403.7 million compared to $179.5 million in the prior year period. The $224.2 million or approximately 125% increase was primarily due to the deployment of mining rigs since the prior year period, the acquisitions of GC Data Center Acquisition, the Garden City Acquisition and the Arkon Acquisition and overall increased scale of the business.
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Total margin excluding impact of depreciation and amortization for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $244.3 million compared to $164.2 million for the prior year period. The following table summarizes the factors that impacted the increase in total margin excluding impact of depreciation and amortization for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the prior year period.
Revenue: (in thousands)
● Higher average price of bitcoin produced and other revenue $ 348,512
● Lower amount of bitcoin produced (111,280)
● Third-party hosting 31,638
Cost of revenue – energy, hosting and other:
● Higher costs due to growth in hashrate (232,559)
● Decrease in hash costs and other costs 74,255
● Third-party hosting (30,403)
Total margin excluding depreciation and amortization $ 80,163
General and administrative expenses: General and administrative expenses were $272.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $92.4 million in the prior year period, an increase of $179.7 million or approximately 194%. General and administrative expenses excluding stock-based compensation was $114.4 million in the current year period compared to $59.8 million in the prior year period. The $54.7 million or approximately 91% increase in expenses was primarily due to the increased scale of the business and our strategic shift to an asset-heavy strategy, including payroll and benefits, professional fees, facility and equipment repair and maintenance expenses, and other third-party costs associated with growth in the business. The increase in stock-based compensation of $32.6 million in the prior year period to $157.6 million in the current year was primarily due to (1) restricted stock unit awards related to 2023 performance awarded and partially expensed in 2024, (2) 2024 performance-based restricted stock units awarded and partially expensed in 2024, (3) an accounting charge related to the modification of our peer index to consist exclusively of publicly traded bitcoin mining companies and (4) threefold increase in our headcount from 48 to 152 due to growth and a pivot towards an asset-heavy strategy. As such, 2024 stock-based compensation expense reflects the impact of two annual grant awards.
Change in fair value of digital assets: We recognized a gain on digital assets of $813.8 million, compared to a gain of $331.5 million in the prior year period. The $482.3 million or approximately 146% increase was primarily related to the increase in bitcoin price from $42,288 to $93,354 from December 31, 2023 to December 31, 2024, respectively and the underlying digital assets held at the respective dates. As of December 31, 2024, we had 44,893 bitcoin, an increase of 197% compared to the prior year period, primarily due to the 22,065 bitcoin purchased throughout the year ended 2024. We view bitcoin on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as an important treasury reserve asset and expect to continue to invest in the future.