Starcloud Aims for Space-Based Bitcoin Mining with Launch of Starcloud-2

Nvidia-backed startup Starcloud is preparing to launch its second spacecraft, Starcloud-2, in early 2027. The mission will carry Bitcoin mining hardware aboard, marking an industry first for cryptocurrency mining in space.

According to CEO Philip Johnston, the company will be using ASICs (specialized chips designed for cryptocurrency mining) to mine Bitcoin. Johnston sees this as a potentially 'one of the most compelling use cases of space compute.'

The economics of hardware cost per kilowatt favor ASICs over Nvidia GPUs in this context, with an ASIC costing around $1,000 compared to $30,000 for a GPU drawing the same amount of power.

However, cooling electronics in space remains a significant challenge. In space, heat must be transferred from electronics to radiators that emit infrared radiation, and factors such as radiator area, operating temperature, and surface properties all determine how much heat can escape.