Cryptocurrency miner TeraWulf is raising $3 billion U.S. in debt to help fund an expansion of its data centre operations.
The deal is supported by Google parent company Alphabet, which owns 14% of TeraWulf and is working with the crypto miner to grow its artificial intelligence (A.I.) infrastructure.
Bitcoin Miner TeraWulf Looks to Raise $3 Billion for New Data Centers
Bitcoin mining company TeraWulf is looking to raise $3 billion through debt financing to expand its data center capacity. The deal, arranged by Morgan Stanley and supported by Google, aims to further develop the Lake Mariner campus in New York. Google, which holds a minority stake in TeraWulf, is expected to play a crucial role in securing favorable terms for the financing, with the deal potentially launching in October.
Financing Plan and Role of Google
TeraWulf has been working to increase its mining capabilities and infrastructure, and the $3 billion in debt will aid in expanding its operations. The financing deal is being managed by Morgan Stanley and will be supported by Google, which holds a 14% stake in the firm. TeraWulf’s CFO, Patrick Fleury, confirmed to Bloomberg that the deal’s terms are still being finalized, but they expect the financing to start as early as next month.
Google’s backing is seen as a key factor in securing better terms for the financing. The company’s involvement is expected to positively impact TeraWulf’s debt rating, given Google’s substantial influence in the technology and infrastructure sectors. The partnership between TeraWulf and Google aligns with broader trends in the industry, such as recent AI-infrastructure financings like CoreWeave’s debt offering in July.
Expansion of Lake Mariner Campus
The funds raised from this debt financing will be used primarily for expanding TeraWulf’s Lake Mariner campus located in New York. The campus is central to TeraWulf’s operations, hosting part of the infrastructure used for its Bitcoin mining efforts.
The additional capital will enable TeraWulf to enhance its data center capacity, which is crucial as the company looks to scale its operations and meet increasing demand in the cryptocurrency market.
This campus expansion is part of TeraWulf’s broader strategy to strengthen its position in the cryptocurrency mining industry. The increased capacity will likely help the company keep up with rising energy and computational demands while also improving the efficiency of its operations.
Google’s Stake and the AI Compute Deal
Google’s involvement with TeraWulf extends beyond the current debt financing deal. In August, the company secured an 8% stake in TeraWulf as part of a larger $3.7 billion, 10-year AI compute deal with FluidStack.
The deal involves leasing AI compute capacity, with the potential for further expansions. Just days later, a 160 MW expansion option brought an additional $1.4 billion in financing support, increasing Google’s backing to about $3.2 billion. This expanded commitment has increased Google’s pro forma stake to approximately 14%.
This series of agreements reflects the growing intersection between cryptocurrency mining and AI infrastructure. The partnership between TeraWulf and Google is part of a larger trend in the industry where tech firms are making significant investments in compute infrastructure for both mining and AI operations.
Comparable Deal with Cipher
TeraWulf is not the only Bitcoin mining company entering into partnerships supported by Google. Just this week, Cipher, another Bitcoin miner, signed a similar deal with FluidStack, also backed by Google. The deal is worth $3 billion for its initial term and could rise to $7 billion with optional extensions. Additionally, Cipher has proposed a $1.1 billion offering of convertible senior notes, maturing in 2031.
Google is expected to take a 5.4% stake in Cipher as part of this agreement, further cementing its role in the growing intersection of cryptocurrency mining and AI infrastructure. Like TeraWulf, Cipher is aiming to expand its operations and meet the increasing demand for high-performance computing power.
Both TeraWulf and Cipher’s recent moves demonstrate a trend of major tech companies like Google influencing the future of both cryptocurrency mining and AI technologies through strategic investments and partnerships.
TeraWulf’s capital raise, which is largely being managed through the issuance of debt, is expected to take place in October and include high-yield bonds and leveraged loans.
The move by TeraWulf comes as the A.I. industry explodes and the demand for data centre space, microchips, and electricity rises sharply.
Crypto miners such as TeraWulf have partnered with mega-cap technology companies such as Alphabet in the current A.I. race.
Crypto miners already control power-intensive infrastructure that can be repurposed for A.I. workloads. This is essentially the deal between TeraWulf and Alphabet.
Other crypto firms that are pushing into the A.I. data center space include Cipher Mining, which has struck a $1.4 billion U.S. agreement with Alphabet.
WULF stock is up 98% this year and trading at $10.83 U.S. per share. Alphabet’s stock has risen 30% year-to-date to trade at $246.54 U.S. per share.
