#mining

Shares of top mining companies such as Marathon Digital (MARA) and Riot Platforms (RIOT) have plunged more than 35% since the beginning of the year in anticipation of the upcoming Bitcoin halving. Analysts from these firms, however, consider the fears over reduced block rewards to be unfounded and maintain a positive outlook on the miners' activities.

Cryptocurrencies, primarily due to their mining processes, are projected to boost their energy consumption by at least 40% within the next two years. Concurrently, the energy expenditure for AI apps is set to increase tenfold. These findings come from the International Energy Agency's recent report.

JCapital Research analysts have issued a warning about the potential for a significant drop in Hut 8 Mining Corp (HUT) shares, citing possible involvement in fraudulent schemes like Pump & Dump. This alert is primarily based on the company's recent acquisition of US Bitcoin (USBTC) and the ensuing merger.

American authorities have charged Charles Parks III with fraud and money laundering related to his operation of illegally mining cryptocurrencies using cloud services. From January to August 2021, the suspect orchestrated a cryptojacking scheme, exploiting third-party computing resources and equipment to mine cryptocurrencies.

China's state media is once again alerting its citizens to the dangers and illegality of cryptocurrency trading, as well as enforcing a total ban on mining. This move coincides with a surge in Bitcoin's popularity following the approval of spot ETFs and the anticipation of the upcoming halving event, which will reduce the reward for mining a block by half.

According to financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, the forthcoming Bitcoin halving could render at least eleven prominent mining corporations, including names like Marathon Digital and Riot Platforms, unprofitable under the current BTC prices. The most severe impacts are anticipated for Argo Blockchain and Hut 8.

CleanSpark, a U.S.-based mining enterprise, is gearing up to launch its own trading desk in 2024. CEO Zachary Bradford sees this initiative as a strategic move to optimize profits, surpassing what third-party platforms offer.