Despite rising costs to mine Bitcoin, BitFuFu FUFU, the digital asset mining company based in Singapore, achieved double-digit growth in the third quarter. The company reported revenue of $90.3 million for the third quarter of 2024, a 47.5% increase year-over-year, and achieved adjusted EBITDA of $5.8 million. This quarter marked the first full quarter after the Bitcoin halving event in late April, which reduced the Bitcoin block subsidy from 6.25 to 3.125 Bitcoin per block. 

BitFuFu (FUFU.US) has also attracted investor interest, highlighted by H.C. Wainwright analyst Kevin Dede’s initiation of coverage with a ‘Buy’ rating and a $7 target price for the stock.

“Despite the halving event BitFuFu had another successful quarter generating positive adjusted EBITDA,” said BitFuFu chairman and CEO Leo Lu during a conference call to discuss quarterly results. “I am proud to say that the third quarter of 2024 is the 11th consecutive quarter BitFuFu has generated positive adjusted EBITDA. This consistency demonstrates the profitability and resilience of our business model, regardless of whether the price of Bitcoin is in a bear market or bull market.”

What sets BitFuFu apart from its peers – such as Riot Platforms Inc RIOT, BitDeer BTDR and MARA Holdings Inc. MARA – is its unique approach of collaborating with mining partners to boost revenue and drive efficiencies rather than keeping it all in-house. This strategy, combined with its smaller, more focused business model, has positioned BitFuFu as a leader in growth within the industry. For instance, in the second quarter, BitFuFu reported revenue of $129.4 million and net income of $1.3 million. In comparison. Riot Platforms generated $70 million in revenue but reported a net loss of $(0.32) per share, while MARA recorded revenue of $145 million, but suffered a loss of ($0.72) per share. 

Compared to industry peers Riot Platforms (RIOT) and MARA Holdings (MARA), BitFuFU’s market capitalization remains relatively modest. However, BitFuFu stands out for its growth trajectory, even in a challenging market. Between the second quarter of 2023 and 2024, BitFuFu achieved a 69.7% increase in revenue and reported positive net income of $1.3 million. In contrast, MARA posted a net loss of $199 million, and Riot recorded a loss of $84 million over the same period. These results underscore BitFuFu’s growth momentum and demonstrate its ability to outperform key competitors in both profitability and revenue growth within the current market environment.

Check out BitFuFu’s third-quarter conference call here! 

Revenue Growth Driven By Cloud Mining 

In the third quarter, BitFuFu reported that revenue growth was primarily driven by its cloud mining solutions, which generated $68.9 million in revenue, accounting for 75% of the company’s total quarterly revenue. According to CEO Leo Lu, this growth was fueled by both new customer acquisitions and strong retention among existing customers. Cloud-mining registered users increased by 75.3% to 455,764, up from 259,929 in the year-ago quarter.

Revenue from BitFuFu’s self-mining business also rose to $20.5 million, marking a 40.4% year-over-year gain despite an increase in Bitcoin mining costs. During the quarter, the cost per mined Bitcoin rose to $59,452 due to increased blockchain difficulty and the impact of the April halving event. The cost includes electricity, hosting fees, the cost of hash rate purchased from suppliers and the cost of leased mining equipment, which comprises most of BitFuFu’s mining fleet. As a result, Lu noted that the $59,452 figure may not be directly comparable to some peers, as other companies may exclude depreciation of miner costs in their calculations. 

Expanding Mining Reach and Reducing Costs

To offset rising costs and expand its operational footprint, BitFuFu undertook several strategic actions. During and shortly after the third quarter, the company reallocated its mining fleet, secured favorable long-term, lower-cost purchase agreements and leveraged new low-cost electricity sites to enhance operational efficiency. The company shifted both leased and self-owned mining machines from high-cost facilities to lower-cost facilities while retaining the U.S. as a key strategic base for its mining operations. 

By the end of the third quarter, BitFuFu’s hosting capacity had grown to 556 megawatts (MW) across 17 sites spanning three continents, compared to 339 MW across 16 sites on two continents in the same period last year. Of these sites, ten are in the U.S., six are in Ethiopia and one is in Paraguay. 

As a result, average hosting costs decreased to 6.8 cents per kilowatt hour, a 13% improvement from the second quarter. In October, BitFuFu further reduced hosting costs by an additional 5% to 6.5 cents per kilowatt hour. “Our ability to quickly adjust to changes in the market is a testament to the advantages of our asset-light strategy, particularly in the challenging period following Bitcoin halving events,” said Lu. 

Building Energy Platform by Acquiring Mining Infrastructure 

In October BitFuFu signed a definitive agreement to purchase a majority stake in an 80-megawatt mining site in Ethiopia, with an electricity cost of around 3.6 cents per kilowatt hour. The site, which can deploy 26,000 miners, is currently operating 8,000 AntMiner S19j Pro miners with a combined 0.8 Exa Hash. CEO Lu stated that in the coming quarter, the company plans to fill in the remaining capacity to reach a combined mining capacity of 2.5 EH/s. Longer term, BitFuFu believes the facility could reach 4.6 EH/s when running AntMiner S21 Series miners. The company’s total mining capacity under management increased 88.5% year-over-year in Q3 to 26.2 EH/s, compared to 13.9 EH/s in Q3 last year.

“This acquisition not only increases the diversity of our mining portfolio but also aligns with our strategic goal to build a sustainable energy platform,” said Lu. He noted that BitFuFu is also evaluating a pipeline of potential M&A opportunities with over 100 MW in both traditional grid and off-grid options. 

BitFuFu is actively exploring additional regions with favorable energy rates to further reduce costs and enhance long-term operational stability. Lu stated, “As we continue our journey, we are looking at off-grid and low-cost energy solutions as potential avenues to further stabilize our cost structure and enhance profitability.” Lu continued, “We believe owning some data centers is essential to BitFuFu’s business. We are focusing on finding the optimal mix between a pure asset-light strategy and an asset-heavy strategy.” 

Looking ahead, Lu emphasized the company’s commitment to growth and shareholder. “With continued investment in stable energy sourcing and capacity growth, we are confident in our ability to deliver resilient performance in the face of a dynamic market environment,” he said.

Featured photo by Erling Løken Andersen on Unsplash.

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