Pakistan Allocates 2,000 Megawatts for Bitcoin Mining and AI Data Centers U.S. Judge Overturns Avraham Eisenberg's Convictions in Mango Markets Case Semler Scientific Boosts Bitcoin Holdings by 25.8% in 2025

Pakistan is taking significant steps to harness its idle power plants for bitcoin mining and AI data centers. The country's finance ministry has announced a plan to allocate 2,000 megawatts of electricity in the first phase of this initiative. The energy will be sourced from coal-fired power plants such as Sahiwal and Port Qasim, which are currently operating at just 15% capacity. This move is part of a broader strategy to legalize cryptocurrency, attract foreign investment, and create high-skilled jobs, following a period of economic instability that saw the country narrowly avoid default in 2023.

The Pakistan Crypto Council, a group collaborating with the government, is leading this effort to establish a regulatory framework for digital assets. With an estimated 15 to 20 million crypto users already active in the country, officials believe that legitimizing and regulating the sector could help stabilize the economy and tap into global crypto flows.

In a significant legal development, a U.S. judge has overturned the fraud and market manipulation convictions of Avraham Eisenberg, the trader who siphoned $110 million from Mango Markets. The decision, issued by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, stated that prosecutors failed to demonstrate that Eisenberg made false representations to the platform. Eisenberg had manipulated the price of Mango’s MNGO token by over 1,000% within 20 minutes, inflating the value of his holdings. He then used those tokens as collateral to borrow and withdraw over $100 million in digital assets from the protocol. Eisenberg's legal team argued that his actions, while aggressive, were permitted by the code and rules set by Mango Markets itself. The court agreed, noting the platform's permissionless nature meant there was no deception involved.

Semler Scientific, a medical equipment manufacturer, has further expanded its bitcoin holdings with a $50 million acquisition. This purchase, which took place between May 13 and May 22, involved the acquisition of 455 bitcoin at an average price of $109,801 per coin. The funds for this acquisition were obtained through an at-the-market (ATM) equity offering, part of a broader $500 million fundraising effort launched in mid-April. This latest buy increases Semler’s total bitcoin holdings to 4,264 BTC, acquired at a combined cost of $390 million. The market value of these holdings now exceeds $450 million. Bitcoin has become a central metric for Semler's performance evaluation. The firm reported that its BTC Yield, a metric tracking the year-to-date growth in bitcoin holdings per share, has reached 25.8% so far in 2025.

In summary, Pakistan's initiative to utilize idle power plants for bitcoin mining and AI data centers reflects a strategic move to leverage its energy resources and attract foreign investment. The overturning of Avraham Eisenberg's convictions highlights the complexities of legal interpretations in the crypto space, particularly when dealing with permissionless platforms. Semler Scientific's continued investment in bitcoin underscores the growing trend of companies adopting cryptocurrency as a key component of their treasury strategy, reflecting confidence in its long-term value and potential for growth.