Riot Platforms Cuts Bitcoin Holdings in Strategic Shift Toward AI
Riot Platforms is accelerating a strategic pivot away from pure Bitcoin mining, selling a sizable portion of its BTC holdings in December as it repositions itself as a power and data center infrastructure provider — increasingly aligned with artificial intelligence workloads.
During the month, Riot liquidated 1,818 Bitcoin for approximately $161.6 million, achieving an average net sale price of $88,870 per BTC. The move came despite the company producing 460 Bitcoin in the same period, underscoring a deliberate shift from accumulation toward monetization.
Key takeaways
- Riot sold more Bitcoin than it mined in December, signaling a clear strategy shift.
- The company is moving away from monthly mining disclosures toward broader business reporting.
- Bitcoin remains on the balance sheet, but no longer as the primary growth focus.
By the end of December, Riot held 18,005 Bitcoin, down from 19,368 BTC a month earlier. That figure includes nearly 4,000 restricted Bitcoin, which are held in segregated custody accounts and pledged as collateral under the company’s debt arrangements.
Notably, Riot also confirmed that December marked its final monthly mining update. Going forward, disclosures will move to a quarterly cadence, with a broader focus on data center strategy, power utilization, and overall business performance rather than short-term mining output.
Mining gives way to infrastructure and AI
The sale aligns with a strategic reset Riot outlined in October, when it stated that Bitcoin mining was no longer its primary end goal.
Instead, the company plans to repurpose its large-scale power infrastructure to support a proposed 1-gigawatt data center campus, targeting high-performance computing and artificial intelligence demand.
This transition reflects broader pressure across the mining sector. Since the April 2024 Bitcoin halving, which reduced block rewards by 50%, mining margins have tightened, forcing operators to seek alternative revenue streams. Energy-intensive infrastructure — once built solely for mining — has increasingly become valuable to AI and cloud computing customers.
Despite the sales, Riot remains one of the largest corporate holders of Bitcoin. Data from Bitcointreasuries.net places the company seventh among publicly listed firms by BTC holdings, highlighting that Bitcoin still plays a role on its balance sheet even as strategy evolves.
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Alex is an experienced financial journalist and cryptocurrency enthusiast. With over 8 years of experience covering the crypto, blockchain, and fintech industries, he is well-versed in the complex and ever-evolving world of digital assets. His insightful and thought-provoking articles provide readers with a clear picture of the latest developments and trends in the market. His approach allows him to break down complex ideas into accessible and in-depth content. Follow his publications to stay up to date with the most important trends and topics.
