Bitcoin (BTC) mining companies are continuing their upward trajectory in pre-market trading, fueled by the accelerating artificial intelligence and high-performance computing (AI/HPC) revolution. This trend is particularly advantageous for miners transitioning their operations toward AI infrastructure development.
IREN (IREN) has climbed 4% to $66 following a 6% increase on Thursday, representing an impressive 520% year-to-date growth. TerraWulf (WULF) shows 5% pre-market gains after Thursday's 10% surge, achieving 150% YTD returns. Other significant performers include Cipher Mining (CIFR), CleanSpark (CLSK), and Bitfarms (BITF), all recording 2%-4% pre-market advances.
According to Farside data, the total market capitalization of bitcoin mining companies is approaching $90 billion. Maintaining current momentum could push the sector beyond $100 billion by year-end.
The industry is additionally benefiting from broader technological trends, with Bloomberg reporting Microsoft's (MSFT) data center shortages are projected to continue into 2026 due to escalating cloud and AI requirements.
Despite adding approximately two gigawatts of new capacity, Microsoft continues facing challenges scaling infrastructure rapidly enough to meet demand. The persistent need for high-performance computing infrastructure is generating increased optimism around bitcoin miners expanding into AI and data center operations.