A major winter storm sweeping across the central and eastern United States in late January forced Bitcoin miners to dramatically curtail operations, revealing their evolving role as flexible assets for modern power grids. Major U.S.-based mining pools, including Foundry USA and Luxor, saw their computational power, or hashrate, plummet by more than 50% as they responded to grid demands and extreme weather conditions. This event, first reported by industry outlet TheMinerMag, did not disrupt the Bitcoin network’s security but instead demonstrated how cryptocurrency mining is becoming integrated into energy management systems, with experts from GoMining Institutional and Threshold Labs framing the slowdown as a sign of industry maturation rather than failure.
about Winter Storm Slows U.S. Bitcoin Mining, Shows Grid FlexibilityAntPool
0 in Finance and 0 in Crypto last weekSolo Bitcoin Miners Win $300K Each as US Mining Share Declines
In a striking demonstration of Bitcoin’s decentralized nature, two solo miners this week each secured full block rewards worth approximately $300,000, a rare feat against the backdrop of industrial-scale mining pools. These individual wins occur as the United States’ dominance in Bitcoin mining wanes, with firms pivoting capital and infrastructure toward artificial intelligence, allowing regions like China to recapture global market share.
about Solo Bitcoin Miners Win $300K Each as US Mining Share DeclinesETNCrypto: Halving-Proof Mining Strategy for 2025
The 2025 Bitcoin halving event, which will slash block rewards by 50%, is set to become a critical stress test for cryptocurrency miners worldwide. As the industry braces for reduced revenue amid persistently high energy costs, ETNCrypto has positioned itself with a strategic model designed to withstand these pressures. Through a combination of advanced ASIC rigs, renewable energy integration, and innovative short-term contracts, the company claims to offer a halving-resistant mining solution that prioritizes accessibility and daily returns for investors navigating an increasingly challenging landscape.
about ETNCrypto: Halving-Proof Mining Strategy for 2025Botanix Launches First Decentralized Bitcoin L2 Mainnet
Botanix Labs has officially launched its EVM-equivalent Bitcoin Layer 2 (L2) mainnet, making it the first decentralized Bitcoin L2 from inception. The network, governed by a federation of 16 independent node operators including Galaxy and Fireblocks, drastically improves Bitcoin’s utility with 5-second block times and $0.02 average fees. Key ecosystem partners like Chainlink, GMX, and Dolomite are already live, while new Bitcoin-native apps such as Arch and Bitzy are launching exclusively on Botanix. The team also unveiled ‘Bitcoin 2100,’ an immersive game where users earn bitcoin while exploring DeFi applications on the network. CEO Willem Schroé emphasized Botanix’s commitment to self-custody and decentralization, addressing past issues with centralized platforms. With over 26M testnet transactions since December 2024, Botanix aims to expand its node operator set beyond 100 in 2026.
about Botanix Launches First Decentralized Bitcoin L2 MainnetBitcoin’s Cold War: 3,000 Nodes at Risk in Core Policy Clash
Bitcoin Core’s decision to remove the 80-byte OP_RETURN relay cap has sparked a divisive policy war, with a GitHub script now targeting Bitcoin Knots nodes (13% of reachable peers) for auto-banning. The conflict centers on whether larger data payloads undermine Bitcoin’s monetary focus, with Knots gaining adoption as critics like Luke Dashjr call Core’s move ‘utter insanity.’ Unlike the block size wars, this relay policy split doesn’t require consensus changes but risks network partitioning if peer bans spread. Core’s v30 release in October will enforce the change, leaving miners and node operators to decide whether to propagate data-heavy transactions. With Knots nodes at a record 2,938 and banning tools proliferating, Bitcoin faces its first major operational divide since 2017.
about Bitcoin's Cold War: 3,000 Nodes at Risk in Core Policy ClashBitVM Smart Contracts Gain 31.5% Bitcoin Hashrate Support
Bitlayer’s BitVM implementation has gained backing from major Bitcoin mining pools, including Antpool, F2Pool, and SpiderPool, which collectively control 31.5% of the network’s hashrate. This support ensures the system’s operation on the Bitcoin blockchain, enhancing its scalability and functionality. BitVM, introduced in 2023 by Robin Linux, enables complex smart contracts on Bitcoin by verifying computations onchain while executing them offchain, similar to optimistic rollups. The move marks a significant step toward expanding Bitcoin’s utility beyond simple transactions.
about BitVM Smart Contracts Gain 31.5% Bitcoin Hashrate SupportFoundry Dominates Bitcoin Mining with 34 Percent Block Share
Foundry USA has emerged as a dominant force in Bitcoin mining, recently capturing 34% of all blocks mined in the past week. This achievement is part of a broader trend, as Foundry, with an estimated hashrate of 233 EH/s, continues to outpace its closest competitor, AntPool, contributing to a market where a few entities control over half of the Bitcoin blocks. The strategic moves behind Foundry’s success highlight its consistency and reliability in the decentralized mining landscape.
about Foundry Dominates Bitcoin Mining with 34 Percent Block ShareBhutan’s Gelephu City Integrates Bitcoin and Ethereum into Strategic Reserves
Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) in Bhutan plans to incorporate Bitcoin, Ethereum, and BNB into its strategic reserves, marking a pioneering move for Special Administrative Regions. This initiative aims to enhance economic resilience and is part of a broader strategy to leverage digital assets and Bitcoin mining for economic growth.The city, envisioned as a sustainable urban model, will be powered entirely by renewable energy and is strategically located to serve over two billion people in South Asia. With new digital asset laws in place, GMC is set to become a hub for digital innovation and blockchain technology.
about Bhutan's Gelephu City Integrates Bitcoin and Ethereum into Strategic Reserves