Fred Thiel explains how MARA’s flexible Bitcoin miners unlock idle grid capacity, smoothing power use for AI data centers and turning inference volatility into affordable, sustainable compute.
At the 2025 AIM Summit in London, MARA Chairman and CEO Fred Thiel presented a bold vision: Bitcoin miners can support the rapidly growing energy needs of artificial intelligence (AI). He argues that Bitcoin miners could help unlock the abundant power needed for AI’s next era.
The energy narrative is shifting. Just as critics once falsely claimed that Bitcoin mining would consume all of the energy in the world, similar headlines now suggest AI will do the same. But the real challenge isn’t electricity supply; it’s that AI demand is inflexible and volatile.
“The grid has plenty of capacity for all AI needs today. The challenge is that electricity and the needs of the AI industry are a little bit mismatched.” - Fred Thiel
The opportunity isn’t about more generation, it’s about smarter alignment between compute and available electricity. A recent study from Duke found that there is plenty of capacity available in U.S. grids for large consumers (loads) that can curtail just a fraction of the time. But because AI data centers are inflexible, they can't access the 76+ GW of available capacity for flexible loads.
At MARA, we see Bitcoin mining as the missing link. Our mining systems can dynamically shape their energy consumption, so when paired with volatile AI operations, they can provide a flexible and smooth power profile. In the event that AI workloads spike or the grid faces high demand, miners can rapidly power off their operations to free up capacity for other needs. By shaping our load to fit grid conditions, we become more than energy consumers; we become energy partners. In these hybrid deployments, AI runs uninterrupted while Bitcoin miners absorb volatility, monetize surplus, and smooth out demand curves.
That’s why MARA is investing in technology to further integrate Bitcoin mining with energy and AI compute networks. This includes custom high-density mining rigs and immersion-cooling systems designed for flexibility and co-location with AI servers. The company is also developing energy management software to balance power between miners, AI data centers, and the grid in real time. By building the tools to integrate Bitcoin mining with power grids and data centers, MARA is helping ensure that the surging demand for AI compute can be met sustainably, economically, and at scale.
Watch the full keynote to see how both turbos drive MARA forward and stay up to date with the company’s latest performance metrics on our investor relations page.
About MARA
MARA (NASDAQ:MARA) deploys digital energy technologies to advance the world's energy systems. We believe Bitcoin mining is the most scalable and adaptable digital energy technology today, optimizing how energy is produced, delivered, and consumed. As the industry leader, we monetize excess energy and balance the grid with flexible power demand. We build, own, and operate power infrastructure to expand access to electricity and develop technology that drives efficiency across high-performance computing applications.
For more information, visit www.mara.com, or follow us on:
X: @MARA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/maraholdings/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MARAHoldings
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maraholdingsinc/
Forward-Looking Statements
This blog post contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this blog post are forward-looking statements. The words "may," "will," "could," "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "believe," "continue," "target" and similar expressions or variations or negatives of these words are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations about future events as of the date hereof and involve many risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. Subsequent events and developments, including actual results or changes in our assumptions, may cause our views to change. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements except to the extent required by applicable law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements included herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Our actual results and outcomes could differ materially from those included in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the factors set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any other periodic reports that we may file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
