Bitcoin News Today: MARA to Acquire 64% of Exaion for $168M to Expand AI Infrastructure

MARA Holdings Inc. has taken a significant step in expanding its business beyond Bitcoin mining by announcing a $168 million deal to acquire a 64% stake in Exaion, a high-performance computing and AI infrastructure firm owned by Electricité de France (EDF). The transaction, which involves acquiring both newly issued and existing shares, is expected to close by late 2025 or early 2026 upon regulatory approvals in France and Canada [1]. Under the agreement, MARA will pay €23 million upfront and another €10 million in 2027 contingent on Exaion meeting specific performance targets [2].

This move marks MARA’s strategic shift toward the AI infrastructure market, where it aims to leverage its expertise in large-scale, energy-intensive computing operations. The company will focus on AI inference services, which require less capital compared to training AI models from scratch. By targeting this segment, MARA can offer tailored computing solutions to a broader set of clients without relying heavily on hyperscale cloud providers [3]. The firm also plans to increase its ownership in Exaion to up to 75% by 2027, subject to additional investment [4].

The acquisition aligns with a growing trend among Bitcoin miners seeking to diversify revenue streams amid the sector’s volatility. Exaion’s data centers and cloud platforms are designed to handle demanding AI workloads, including big data analytics and machine learning. MARA’s emphasis on digital sovereignty—keeping data within secure, region-compliant systems—adds another layer of appeal to clients seeking control over data processing [5].

While continuing its aggressive Bitcoin acquisition strategy, MARA has also raised $950 million through equity and debt financing to strengthen its balance sheet and expand its crypto treasury. This dual approach positions the company to benefit from both the crypto and AI markets. MARA’s stock rose 1.8% to $15.67 following the announcement, pushing its market value to $5.8 billion [6].

The transaction highlights the increasing convergence between energy-efficient computing and AI development. Companies such as Core Scientific and Hut 8 have similarly pivoted toward cloud and AI infrastructure services, reflecting a broader industry shift [5].

Sources:

[1] TradingView: [Bitcoin miner MARA to acquire majority stake in Exaion in AI HPC play](https://www.tradingview.com/news/cointelegraph:fec9e6458094b:0-bitcoin-miner-mara-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-exaion-in-ai-hpc-play/)

[2] MARA: [MARA & EDF Pulse Ventures Sign Investment Agreement in Subsidiary Exaion to Expand MARA’s Global AI/HPC Capabilities](https://www.mara.com/posts/mara-edf-pulse-ventures-sign-investment-agreement-in-subsidiary-exaion-to-expand-maras-global-ai-hpc-capabilities)

[3] AInvest: [MARA invests $168M to acquire 64% stake in Exaion for AI/HPC expansion](https://www.ainvest.com/news/bitcoin-news-today-mara-invests-168m-acquire-64-stake-exaion-ai-hpc-expansion-2508/)

[4] CoinGape: [Bitcoin Miner MARA Eyes AI Growth in $168M EDF Deal](https://coingape.com/bitcoin-miner-mara-eyes-ai-growth-in-168m-edf-deal/)

[5] The Block: [Bitcoin miner MARA mulls buying $168-million stake in French data firm Bloomberg](https://www.theblock.co/post/366456/bitcoin-miner-mara-mulls-buying-168-million-stake-in-french-data-firm-bloomberg)

[6] Seeking Alpha: [MARA to buy majority stake in EDF’s AI infrastructure unit for $168M in cash](https://seekingalpha.com/news/4483544-mara-to-buy-majority-stake-in-edfs-ai-infrastructure-unit-unit-for-168m-in-cash)