Bitcoin News Today: MARA Acquires 64% Stake in Exaion for $168M to Expand AI Infrastructure

MARA Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: MARA) has announced a $168 million acquisition of a 64% stake in Exaion, a French artificial intelligence and high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure provider, marking its largest foray into AI to date. The deal, disclosed in late July and widely reported in August, is structured through EDF Pulse Ventures, the venture arm of Electricité de France (EDF), and is expected to close by the end of 2025 pending regulatory approvals [1][2][3][4]. Exaion, a subsidiary of EDF, specializes in deploying and managing data centers for HPC, cloud computing, and AI, with partnerships including Nvidia and Deloitte. The acquisition is intended to enable MARA to expand its services to enterprise and public-sector clients, leveraging Exaion’s existing infrastructure and technical expertise to offer secure, scalable AI inference solutions [5][6][7].

Under the terms of the agreement, MARA also retains the option to increase its ownership in Exaion to 75% by 2027, provided certain performance milestones are met, by injecting an additional $127 million. This structure reflects a strategic approach to balancing risk and growth potential as MARA transitions from a primarily Bitcoin-focused business to one with a more diversified infrastructure portfolio [8][9].

The move comes at a time of heightened competition in the Bitcoin mining sector, with MARA recently producing 703 Bitcoin in July—slightly behind IREN’s 728. However, the firm’s second-quarter revenue rose sharply by 64% to $238 million, bolstered by its continued dominance in Bitcoin mining and its status as the second-largest corporate Bitcoin holder, with a $6 billion Bitcoin treasury. This positions MARA to invest in strategic growth opportunities like the Exaion acquisition without overexposing its balance sheet [10][11].

MARA’s CEO, Fred Thiel, emphasized that the partnership with Exaion would enable the company to deliver secure and energy-efficient cloud solutions at a time when data protection and sustainability are becoming central concerns for governments and enterprises. Rather than rushing into AI infrastructure, MARA has opted to invest in a partner with established capabilities and a proven client base, a decision Thiel described as key to building credibility and accelerating its entry into the AI market [12].

The acquisition aligns with a broader trend among Bitcoin miners seeking to diversify into AI and HPC infrastructure, as rising mining difficulty and energy costs continue to pressure profitability. Unlike some rivals focusing on hyperscale providers, MARA is targeting enterprise and public-sector clients, aiming to leverage its existing technical and operational strengths to offer AI inference services—less capital-intensive than model training [13].

Analysts have noted that the deal could strengthen MARA’s market position, particularly given its substantial Bitcoin holdings and recent fundraising of $950 million to further expand its treasury. The company’s shares rose 1.8% in early trading, signaling investor confidence in its dual strategy of Bitcoin mining and infrastructure expansion [14].

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Source:

[1] https://www.ainvest.com/news/bitcoin-news-today-mara-buys-64-edf-exaion-168-million-expand-ai-hpc-2508/

[2] https://seekingalpha.com/news/4483544-mara-to-buy-majority-stake-in-edfs-ai-infrastructure-unit-unit-for-168m-in-cash

[3] https://coincentral.com/bitcoin-miner-mara-signs-168m-deal-for-exaion-stake-in-ai-infrastructure/

[4] https://www.xt.com/en/blog/post/mara-acquires-64-of-edfs-exaion-in-168m-ai-expansion-deal

[5] https://www.cryptopolitan.com/mara-nears-168m-edf-deal-to-power-ai/

[6] https://www.gurufocus.com/news/3054144/mara-to-acquire-64-stake-in-exaion-for-168m

[7] https://www.ainvest.com/news/bitcoin-miner-mara-acquires-64-stake-exaion-168m-marking-biggest-expansion-2508/

[8] https://coingape.com/bitcoin-miner-mara-eyes-ai-growth-in-168m-edf-deal/

[11] https://www.coinmarketcap.com/community/articles/689b42db2e0a333be23af8f9/