Bitcoin Miner News: Solo Miner Turns $86 Into $271K in Single Block

Bitcoin miner news highlights a solo miner turning $86 into $271K by mining block 928,351, while Bitfarms surged 39% as Aurelius invested $19M. Hut 8 secured a $7B AI hosting deal as China’s Xinjiang crackdown threatens 100 EH/s hashrate.

Solo Miner’s $86 Lottery Win: The Luckiest Bitcoin Mining Story

A very lucky person just turned $86 into 3.12 BTC worth approximately $271,000. A solo miner rented less than $100 worth of hashpower via a mining-for-rent platform and successfully found a Bitcoin block, achieving odds comparable to winning lottery jackpots.

The key to this windfall was successfully mining Bitcoin block number 928,351, confirmed on blockchain on December 18, 2025, at around 2:51 AM UTC. This block carried base reward of about 3.125 BTC (following the 2024 Bitcoin halving event which reduced mining subsidies), plus additional transaction fees pushing total payout slightly higher. The block’s hash is 0000000000000000000039a7a8d1b6b3b4f1e8e4f868c4, and it processed over 2,800 transactions, highlighting ongoing activity on Bitcoin network despite its immense scale.

I wouldn’t recommend trying this though, as you probably have better odds buying lottery tickets. Was cool and awesome to see nonetheless. The probability of solo mining a Bitcoin block with such minimal hashrate is infinitesimally small. At current network difficulty of approximately 110 trillion and total hashrate around 800 EH/s, a miner renting just a few terahashes per second would need extraordinary luck to find a valid block before rental period expires.

This bitcoin miner news story demonstrates that while solo mining remains technically possible, it’s economically irrational for profit-seeking miners. The $86 investment had essentially zero expected value—the miner got exceptionally lucky. Professional bitcoin mining operations deploy exahashes of computing power through ASIC farms consuming megawatts of electricity, yet still find blocks only probabilistically based on their hashrate percentage of the total network.

Bitfarms Stock Surges as Institutional Money Floods Bitcoin Mining

Bitcoin miner news from institutional markets shows Aurelius Capital Management initiated new position in Bitfarms (NASDAQ: BITF), adding 6.7 million shares valued at $19 million as of September 30. The transaction, detailed in SEC filing dated November 13, makes Bitfarms the fund’s largest reported U.S. equity holding for the quarter, representing 34.4% of Aurelius Capital Management’s 13F reportable assets under management.

As of Friday, Bitfarms shares were priced at $2.53, up 39% over the past year and well outperforming the S&P 500, which is up 16.5% in the same period. However, the stock remains approximately 70% below its peak levels reached during previous bitcoin bull markets, suggesting substantial upside potential if bitcoin prices continue rising.

Aurelius Capital Management’s Top Holdings

NASDAQ: BITF – $19 million (34.4% of AUM)

NASDAQ: CORZ – $8.4 million (15.3% of AUM, Core Scientific)

NASDAQ: CIFR – $6.3 million (11.4% of AUM, Cipher Mining)

NASDAQ: WULF – $5.1 million (9.3% of AUM, TeraWulf)

NASDAQ: RIOT – $4.5 million (8.2% of AUM, Riot Platforms)

What matters for long-term investors is not exactly near-term price performance but where conviction is concentrated across portfolios. This position dwarfs the fund’s other crypto-linked holdings, signaling this is viewed less as tactical trade and more as core expression of broader infrastructure thesis. With vast majority of reported assets spread across bitcoin miners and digital infrastructure names, the strategy clearly bets that scale, power access, and balance sheet flexibility matter more than short-term volatility.

Bitfarms operates cryptocurrency mining farms, primarily generating revenue from validating transactions on Bitcoin blockchain and earning block rewards and transaction fees. The company’s business model is based on large-scale, energy-efficient bitcoin mining operations, supplemented by hosting third-party mining hardware and providing electrical services in Quebec.

In third quarter, Bitfarms generated $69 million in revenue from continuing operations, up 156% year-over-year, and delivered adjusted EBITDA of $20 million (28% of revenue). While net losses persist, the balance sheet has been materially strengthened. Bitfarms closed a $588 million convertible note offering and reported total liquidity of about $814 million as of mid-November, including both cash and Bitcoin holdings valued using Tether (USDT) price references.

Management is redeploying capital toward higher-value infrastructure, including converting its Washington site for high-performance computing and AI workloads and advancing multiple North American projects designed to support next-generation GPUs. If Bitfarms successfully pivots from pure bitcoin mining toward digital infrastructure, upside from today’s discounted levels could be meaningful.

Hut 8’s $7B AI Deal Reshapes Bitcoin Mining Industry

Bitcoin miner news includes Hut 8’s (NASDAQ: HUT) announcement of hosting agreement with Fluidstack and a global hyperscaler, valued at approximately $7 billion over 15 years. The deal includes 3% yearly escalator to account for inflation and offers potential expansion to $17.7 billion through additional capacity rights.

This agreement mirrors similar structures seen with TeraWulf (NASDAQ: WULF) and Cipher Mining (NASDAQ: CIFR), where revenue backstop from Google opens avenues for debt financing. The initial phase of the project is scheduled for commissioning in second quarter of 2027. This represents strategic pivot from commodity bitcoin mining to high-margin AI infrastructure provision.

The transformation of bitcoin mining companies into AI data center operators reflects fundamental economics. Bitcoin mining profitability has deteriorated with hashprice holding under $40/PH/day, while AI compute hosting commands premium pricing with long-term contracts providing revenue stability that pure mining cannot match.

China Crackdown and Hashrate Pressure

Bitcoin miner news from China reveals authorities in Xinjiang region ramped up scrutiny on Bitcoin miners operating in gray markets, leading to shutdown of as much as 1.3 GW of bitcoin mining operations. This enforcement is framed as rolling inspections rather than total seizure, though machines have been relocated to government-designated warehouses.

This crackdown threatens roughly 100 EH/s. While previous bans led to mass hardware migration, current equipment in the region largely consists of older generation machines, making relocation less economically viable. The enforcement appears responsive to operators becoming too brazen by advertising hosting services on social media platforms like Red Note and TikTok.

The network is experiencing significant drawdown in hashrate, attributed to both Xinjiang crackdown and weather-related curtailment in United States. Bitcoin mining economics have deteriorated significantly, with hashprice holding squarely under $40/PH/day. This pressure forces miners to optimize operations, upgrade to more efficient equipment, or pivot toward alternative revenue streams like AI hosting.

Core Scientific and Oracle Financing Concerns

Construction at Denton, Texas facility owned by Core Scientific (NASDAQ: CORZ) faced setbacks over summer due to heavy rains and winds preventing contractors from pouring concrete, the Financial Times reported this week. These delays impact timeline for CoreWeave’s AI infrastructure buildout, highlighting logistical challenges of datacenter construction.

In another AI snag, Wall Street Journal reported that Blue Owl Capital (NYSE: OWL) bowed out of financing a 1 GW AI project for Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) in Michigan. Lenders cited concerns over rising capital expenditures and debt levels, signaling potential tightening of capital markets for large-scale data center projects. This financing hesitation could impact bitcoin mining companies’ ability to fund AI expansion projects if capital markets remain cautious.

CLSK stock (CleanSpark, NASDAQ: CLSK) and other bitcoin mining stocks face similar pressures as they balance traditional mining operations with AI infrastructure investments. The sector’s transformation requires massive capital expenditures just as financing conditions potentially tighten, creating execution risks for announced projects.

MARA Survives Texas Town Incorporation Vote

Bitcoin miner news from Texas shows local effort to incorporate new town named Mitchell Bend near Granbury failed at ballot box earlier this year, preserving status quo for nearby Bitcoin mine owned by MARA Holdings (NASDAQ: MARA). Activists sought to establish town to create stricter noise ordinances than those provided by state law, targeting sound emitted by mining facility.

Despite complaints regarding noise, measure failed by significant margin, with approximately 60% of small community voting against incorporation. Reporting suggests rejection stemmed from general cultural aversion to increased local government oversight rather than specific support for mining operation. This outcome provides regulatory certainty for MARA’s operations in the region, removing potential operational restrictions that could have forced facility modifications or relocations.

FAQ

What is bitcoin miner news about the $86 windfall?

A solo miner rented approximately $86 worth of hashpower through a mining rental platform and successfully mined Bitcoin block 928,351 on December 18, 2025, earning 3.12 BTC (approximately $271,000). The odds of this occurring are comparable to lottery jackpots.

Is solo Bitcoin mining profitable?

No, solo bitcoin mining is not economically rational. At current network difficulty (110 trillion) and hashrate (800 EH/s), even with significant hashpower, odds of finding blocks are extremely low. The $86 success story represents extraordinary luck, not a viable strategy.

What is happening with Bitfarms stock?

Bitfarms (NASDAQ: BITF) is up 39% year-over-year, trading at $2.53. Aurelius Capital Management acquired $19M stake (6.7M shares) representing 34.4% of its portfolio. Despite gains, stock remains 70% below peak levels, suggesting potential upside if bitcoin rallies.

Why are bitcoin miners pivoting to AI?

Bitcoin mining profitability deteriorated with hashprice under $40/PH/day, while AI compute hosting offers premium pricing with long-term contracts. Hut 8’s $7B deal demonstrates superior economics of AI infrastructure versus commodity mining.

What is hashprice in bitcoin mining?

Hashprice measures daily revenue per petahash of mining power, expressed in dollars per petahash per day ($/PH/day). Current levels under $40/PH/day indicate challenging economics for miners, especially those with older equipment or high electricity costs.

How did China’s crackdown affect bitcoin mining?

Xinjiang authorities shut down approximately 1.3 GW of operations, threatening roughly 100 EH/s of hashrate. However, affected equipment consists largely of older generation machines making relocation economically unviable, limiting global hashrate impact.

What bitcoin mining stocks are institutions buying?

Aurelius Capital Management’s top holdings include Bitfarms (BITF), Core Scientific (CORZ), Cipher Mining (CIFR), TeraWulf (WULF), and Riot Platforms (RIOT). CLSK stock (CleanSpark) also attracts institutional interest as miners transition to AI infrastructure.

Is CLSK stock a good bitcoin mining investment?

CleanSpark (NASDAQ: CLSK) stock represents exposure to bitcoin mining with potential AI infrastructure upside. However, like all mining stocks, it faces profitability pressures from low hashprice and capital expenditure requirements for expansion. Research balance sheets and power costs before investing.