Bitcoin Miners Tap into AI, Power Consumption Expected to Surge

The energy landscape for Bitcoin mining is shifting as companies begin to explore opportunities in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and High-Performance Computing (HPC). According to participants at the Energy Investment Forum, held in Dallas, USA, a large-scale energy infrastructure build-out is underway, driven by the AI wave. Companies like those involved in Bitcoin mining have an advantage due to their experience in sourcing low-cost electricity and constructing modular computing power facilities.

However, possessing power resources alone does not guarantee success in building AI data centers. Alexander Neumüller, a researcher at the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, notes that global annual power consumption for Bitcoin mining is expected to rise from 138 terawatt-hours (TWh) to around 190 TWh between June 2024 and December 2025.

About 10% of mining companies have started allocating part of their power to AI or HPC, while over 40% are exploring related transitions. The integration between mining companies and AI infrastructure may take various forms in the future, including building large-scale AI data centers, offering distributed computing power, continuing to operate Bitcoin mining, or transitioning into grid service providers.