Marathon Digital buys $249M Bitcoin, reserves reach 25K BTC

Marathon Digital has increased its Bitcoin reserve to over 25,000 BTC by buying an additional $249 million worth of the crypto after raising cash in a senior note offering.
Marathon Digital has increased its Bitcoin reserve to over 25,000 BTC by buying an additional $249 million worth of the crypto after raising cash in a senior note offering.

Bitcoin miner Marathon Digital has purchased another $249 million worth of Bitcoin after raising $300 million from a senior note offering.

On Aug. 14, the miner said it used part of the note sale proceeds to buy around 4,144 Bitcoin (BTC) at an average price of roughly $59,500, which brought its “strategic Bitcoin reserve to over 25,000 BTC,” it added on X.

Marathon saw net proceeds of around $292.5 million for its convertible senior notes due in September 2031, which bear a 2.125% annual interest rate and are convertible into cash, Marathon stock or both.

Marathon said the remaining cash from the note sales would be used to buy more Bitcoin and for “general corporate purposes,” possibly including strategic acquisitions.

A Marathon spokesperson told Cointelegraph that the company believes Bitcoin “is the premier strategic treasury asset” and is “adopting a multifaceted strategy for acquiring Bitcoin.”

Its latest Bitcoin hoard comes after it purchased 2,282 BTC in July for $124 million, which Marathon CEO and chairman Fred Thiel said was part of a “hodl strategy” — a misspelling of “hold” that made its way into the crypto scene’s lexicon.

Marathon shares closed down 2.26% on the day at $15.14. Its share price is down nearly 34% year-to-date, according to Google Finance.

Marathon shares saw a slight 0.13% fall to $15.12 in after-hours trading. Source: Google Finance

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Earlier in August, Marathon’s second-quarter earnings missed Wall Street estimates. It posted revenues of $145.1 million, which were 9% lower than estimated, but it still enjoyed a 78% year-over-year bump from Q2 of 2023.

It comes as crypto mining profitability has hit a record low after the Bitcoin halving, which cut mining rewards in half.

Miner hash price, which measures mining profits, fell to a record low earlier in August. Blockbridge reported that large public miners, especially Marathon, which had the highest all-in mining cost in August, will struggle to make a profit.

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