Bitcoin Miners Pivot to AI Infrastructure as Nvidia Fuels Expansion

For years, Bitcoin miners were little more than leveraged bets on BTC prices. That’s changing fast. As mining margins tighten and demand for AI computing accelerates, the industry’s biggest players are discovering that access to power and data center infrastructure may be more valuable than hash rate.

That shift gained further validation this week as Nvidia reportedly prepared a $20 billion bond sale to finance the next phase of its AI expansion, reinforcing the multi-year investment cycle that Bitcoin miners are increasingly positioning themselves to serve.

Elsewhere, the tokenized real-world asset market continued to defy the broader crypto downturn, Ripple expanded its African payments push with an investment in Flutterwave and former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried failed to overturn his fraud conviction.

Nvidia’s $20 billion bond offering reinforces Bitcoin miner AI pivot

Nvidia wants to sell $20 billion-worth of bonds to finance the next phase of its AI expansion, reinforcing the growth trend that has prompted Bitcoin miners to pivot toward AI and data center infrastructure.

Bloomberg reported Monday that the chipmaker is pursuing a multi-part bond offering to fund AI-related investments and refinance existing debt. The longest-dated bonds are expected to offer considerably higher yields than comparable US Treasury securities.

The sustained AI buildout has created new opportunities for Bitcoin miners, many of which are repurposing their energy-intensive facilities and power infrastructure for high-performance computing and AI hosting as mining economics remain under pressure. Companies including HIVE Digital, Hut 8, CleanSpark and TeraWulf are increasingly positioning themselves as AI infrastructure providers.

Tokenized RWAs defy crypto bear market

The tokenized real-world asset (RWA) market continues to grow despite broader crypto weakness, with the total value of onchain financial assets surpassing $43 billion — a 37% increase over the past six months, according to Token Terminal.

Tokenized funds make up the overwhelming majority of the RWA market, representing nearly 80% of all onchain financial assets, though commodities and tokenized stocks are gaining traction.

The sector’s momentum comes as major financial institutions forecast significant long-term growth. Standard Chartered expects tokenization to help drive decentralized finance toward a $2.7 trillion market capitalization by 2030, while Citigroup projects tokenized RWAs could reach $5.5 trillion over the same period.

Ripple invests in African payment company

Ripple has invested an undisclosed amount in Flutterwave, one of Africa’s fastest-growing remittance companies, in a deal that values the fintech startup at $3.3 billion.

The transaction will bring Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, Ripple Payments platform and XRP Ledger infrastructure to one of Africa’s largest payment providers, which operates across 35 countries, as blockchain-based remittances continue to gain traction.

The deal marks another step in Ripple’s push to expand its payments network across Africa, where demand for faster and lower-cost cross-border transfers is rapidly increasing. Last October, the company partnered with South Africa’s Absa Bank to provide institutional digital asset custody solutions, further strengthening its presence on the continent.

Sam Bankman-Fried loses appeal

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried failed to overturn his fraud conviction after a three-judge appeals panel in Manhattan upheld the verdict, finding that he received a fair trial.

“While he ‌was publicly reassuring customers, investors and regulators ‌that FTX customer funds were safe, he was simultaneously using FTX as his own personal piggy bank, spending customer funds ⁠on real estate, ⁠political contributions, and investments,” wrote Circuit Judge Barrington Parker.

Bankman-Fried was convicted on fraud and conspiracy charges tied to FTX’s collapse and sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2024. As Cointelegraph reported, he has also formally applied for a presidential pardon from US President Donald Trump, with the request appearing on the Pardon Attorney website in early June.

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