Bitcoin (BTC) miners have not been doing as well as they should have been this year, according to a research report published by the trading firm Bernstein. However, the chief executive officers of mining corporations continue to have a positive outlook as the approaching halving event draws near.
As a result of the halving, which takes place once every four years, the rewards that miners receive are decreased, which in turn slows down the rate at which the quantity of Bitcoin grows. The next halving is expected to take place somewhere between the 19th and 20th of April.
The underperformance was addressed in the study as being able to be ascribed to strong swings in Bitcoin and spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs). It is because of these considerations that "retail liquidity" in mining equities has been depleted, in addition to concerns regarding the impact that the halving will have on miner profits.
On the other hand, during interviews with the chief executive officers of Riot Platforms (RIOT), CleanSpark (CLSK), Marathon Digital (MARA), Cipher Mining (CIFR), and Hut 8 (HUT), these companies emphasized that they are in a relatively strong financial position this cycle, which makes them better equipped to withstand the effects of the halving.
Moreover, the chief executive officers brought attention to the fact that miner dollar sales have reached all-time highs, which provides miners with a substantial cushion in advance of the halving. In addition to this, they pointed out that the levels of debt on their balance sheets were quite affordable. It was also highlighted in the research that some chief executive officers anticipate the possibility of consolidation within the mining industry.
For example, the Chief Executive Officer of CleanSpark anticipates that the sector would eventually be centered around four leading miners. He identifies RIOT, MARA, CLSK, and CIFR as the frontrunners in this regard
When it comes to the competition to acquire targets, the Chief Executive Officer of MARA stressed the importance of a similar approach to industry consolidation and identified CLSK as their primary rival.
The emergence of applications and layer 2 solutions on the Bitcoin blockchain is yet another key change that has been witnessed this time around. This change has resulted in an increase in network fees, which means that miners are receiving more revenue streams as a result of this development.
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