AI and HPC Optimism Sparks Early Trading Rally in Bitcoin Mining Shares

Bitcoin has maintained its rally above $123,000, finishing week 39 up 10%—its strongest weekly performance of the year, according to CoinDesk data.

Crypto stocks with exposure to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and High-Performance Computing (HPC) are outperforming peers without similar technology. Cipher Mining (CIFR) climbed 5% to $15.40, nearing all-time highs, while BitDigital (BTBT) rose 3% to $3.61. Iris Energy (IREN) jumped 5% to $53, also hitting record levels, and CleanSpark (CLSK) gained more than 3% to $16.46, revisiting highs last seen in November 2024.

BTC treasury-focused companies, which lack AI/HPC exposure, are underperforming. Metaplanet (3350) fell 5% to 591 yen, while MicroStrategy (MSTR) gained just 2% pre-market to $359.

Year-to-date performance highlights the growing divergence: Iris Energy (IREN) up 382%, Cipher Mining (CIFR) 205%, Metaplanet 74%, MicroStrategy (MSTR) 17%, and BitDigital (BTBT) 12%.

The data underscores investors’ preference for Bitcoin-linked companies that leverage AI and HPC, signaling a widening gap within the sector.