比特币持续下挫，6万美元关口或将失守？矿企打响“生存战”纷纷转向AI

本报（chinatimes.net.cn）记者赵奕 上海报道

Reporter Zhao Chinatimes.net.cn, in Shanghai.

近期，比特币持续阴跌。6月21日下午，比特币更是一度跌破6.4万美元关键支撑位，截至发稿时略有回升，最新价格为64153美元，24小时内跌幅1.2%。

Recently, Bitcoin continued to fall. In the afternoon of 21 June, Bitcoin fell by 64,000 dollars, a slight recovery from the latest price of $64153, a fall of 1.2 per cent in 24 hours.

在比特币价格震荡的另一边，矿工们正在频繁地抛售手中的比特币。根据 CryptoQuant的数据，比特币矿工储备已跌至2021年以来的最低水平，目前矿工储备约为182万枚。

On the other side of the Bitcoin price shock, miners are selling bitcoin frequently. According to CryptoQuant, Bitcoin reserves have fallen to their lowest level since 2021, and currently they have about 1,82 million.

随着“挖矿”的日子越来越艰难，各大矿企都在另谋出路。近日，美国比特币矿商Core Scientific宣布与由英伟达支持的云服务初创公司CoreWeave达成了一项为期12年的协议，开始发力AI业务。

As the days of “mining” have become more difficult, major mining companies are looking for alternative solutions. In recent days, the United States miner of Bitcoin, Core Scientific, announced a 12-year agreement with CoreWeave, a British-backed cloud service start-up company, to start working with AI.

“随着挖矿难度的上升和奖励的减少，为了降低成本和提高效率，矿企将继续寻求技术创新和多元化发展。”北京共识区块链研究院副院长、国际区块链与加密货币协会高级研究员高泽龙向《华夏时报》记者表示。

“As the difficulty of mining increases and incentives decrease, in order to reduce costs and increase efficiency, mining companies will continue to seek technological innovation and diversified development.” The Vice-President of the Beijing Consensus Block Chain Institute, and the Senior Researcher of the International Block Chain and Encrypted Currency Association, Takasailong, expressed to the Washington Times journalist.

矿工产量和收入双双“减半”

Miner's production and income are halved

近期，比特币ETF持续流出，加剧了比特币价格的震荡。根据SoSoValue追踪的数据显示，美国现货比特币ETF经历了连续六个交易日的资金流出，流出总额已逼近10亿美元。

Recently, Bitcoin ETF continued to flow, adding to the impact of Bitcoin prices. According to SoSoValue tracking data, the US spot Bitcoin ETF has experienced six consecutive trading days of financial outflows, totalling nearly $1 billion.

CryptoQuant在其分析中指出，比特币的交易价格已经明显低于6.58万美元的关键支撑位，又跌破了6.4万美元，这一价格的跌破可能意味着比特币将面临8%—12%的回调，价格可能会向6万美元滑落。

In its analysis, CryptoQuant noted that the trading price of Bitcoin was clearly below the key support position of $658,000 and that it had fallen by another $640 million, which could mean that Bitcoin would face an 8-12 per cent rebound and that the price could fall to $60,000.

Coinglass数据显示，过去24小时共有近5万人被爆仓，爆仓总金额为1.26亿美元。随着比特币价格的下挫，最难过的除了投资者，还有比特币矿工们。

Coinglass data show that close to 50,000 people have been blown up in the last 24 hours, amounting to $126 million. With the fall in bitcoin prices, the saddest thing is that there are also bitcoin miners.

据Farside Investors数据显示，5月是减半以来的第一个完整月份，比特币矿企的产量环比下降约40%。其中，Riot Platforms在5月份产出215枚BTC，较上个月减少43%。另据The Block Pro数据显示，由于比特币区块奖励减半的影响，比特币矿工收入在5月份下降至9.63亿美元，跌幅为46%。

According to Farside Investments, the month of May was the first full month since halving, with Bitcoin miners falling by about 40 per cent. Of this, Riot Platforms produced 215 BTCs in May, a 43 per cent reduction from the previous month. And according to The Block Pro, by May, Bitcoin miners'revenues fell to $963 million, or 46 per cent, as a result of the impact of the halving of Bitcoin block incentives.

“比特币减半后，挖矿的利润将会降低，这可能会导致一些矿工退出市场。”世界数字技术院元宇宙委员会秘书长、中国民协web3.0常务副会长吴高斌向《华夏时报》记者表示。

“When bitcoin is halved, the profits from mining will be reduced, which may lead some miners to exit the market.” The Secretary-General of the World Institute of Digital Technology's Won-Cosmos Commission and Vice-President of the China National Association's Web 3.0 Permanent Vice-President, Wu Goobin, said to a Washington Times journalist.

与此同时，传统企业也在纷纷加入挖矿行业，加剧行业竞争。近日，德国电信子公司T-Mobile宣布，其计划开始发展比特币挖矿业务，以扩大正在进行的加密活动。

At the same time, traditional businesses have joined the mining industry, increasing competition in the industry. In recent days, T-Mobile, a German telecommunications subsidiary, announced its plans to start the development of bitcoin mining operations to expand ongoing encryption activities.

为了生存，比特币矿企不得不另谋出路。

In order to survive, the Bitcoin company had to find another way out.

日前，Core Scientific宣布与英伟达支持的云服务提供商CoreWeave达成了一项为期12年的协议，将向CoreWeave提供约200兆瓦的基础设施。Core Scientific表示，这项协议扩展了两家公司之间现有的合作关系，预计将在合同期内带来超过35亿美元的额外收入。

More recently, Core Scientific announced a 12-year agreement with CoreWeave, a cloud service provider supported by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to provide CoreWeave with about 200 megawatts of infrastructure. Core Scientific states that the agreement extends the existing partnership between the two companies and is expected to generate over $3.5 billion in additional revenue during the contract period.

除了与CoreWeave的合作外，Core Scientific还宣布，在未来三到四年内，它将把500兆瓦的比特币采矿基础设施转换为HPC数据中心。CoreScientific首席执行官AdamSullivan表示，“比特币挖矿设施实际上是数据中心行业的电力外壳，我们主要提供电力和配套设施。”

In addition to cooperating with CoreWeave, Core Scientific has announced that it will convert 500 megawatts of mining infrastructure into a HPC data centre in the next three to four years. CoreScientific CEO Adam Sullivan says, “The Bitcoin mining facility is actually an electrical shell for the data centre industry, and we provide power and support facilities.”

“为了弥补减半带来的收益下降，矿工可能会寻求其他收入来源，将促使行业进行调整。”北京市社会科学院副研究员王鹏向《华夏时报》记者表示，随着竞争的加剧和监管的深入，比特币挖矿行业可能会逐渐集中化，大型、高效的矿场将占据更大市场份额，比特币挖矿行业将更加注重合规经营，并在全球范围内寻找更合适的运营环境。

“In order to compensate for the decline in revenues by reducing by half, miners may seek alternative sources of income that will induce adjustments in the industry.” Wang Peng, a deputy researcher at the Beijing City Academy of Social Sciences, told the Washington Times that, as competition increases and regulation deepens, the bitcoin mining industry may gradually centralize, large and efficient mines will occupy a larger market share, and the bitcoin mining industry will focus more on compliance and find a more appropriate operating environment on a global scale.

摩根大通分析认为，双方的合作为比特币矿商指明了一条全新的转型之路。矿商们不再局限于传统的挖矿业务，也可以利用自身的电力和计算资源，灵活地转型为高性能计算（HPC）以及AI计算的托管中心，从而开辟新的收入来源。而科技巨头通过与这些矿企合作或者直接进行收购操作，可以获得宝贵的电力资源，从而扩大自身的算力，推动AI业务的进一步发展。

By moving beyond traditional mining operations, miners can also use their own power and computing resources to transform them flexibly into high-performance (HPC) and AI-based hosting centers, thus opening new sources of revenue. By working with or directly with these mining companies, technologists can access valuable electricity resources, thereby expanding their computing power and facilitating the further development of AI’s operations.

该机构表示，随着人工智能技术的快速发展，对算力的需求正在呈现爆发式增长。拥有充足、稳定、低成本电力供应的矿业运营商，无疑将在这场算力争夺战中占据优势地位。优质的电力合同，已经成为衡量一家矿业运营商价值的关键因素之一。

The agency states that, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies, demand for numeracy is growing in an explosive fashion. Mining operators with sufficient, stable, low-cost electricity supply will undoubtedly dominate this arithmetic struggle.

为了生存，布局AI

, layout AI for survival.

由于“减半”导致矿工获得的奖励减少之后，比特币矿企一直在寻求增加其他收入来源。比特币挖矿需要大量的电力和稳定的网络连接，而这也正是AI发展过程中必不可少的条件，在当前AI电力供应紧张的情况下，比特币矿商手中的电力资源显得更加宝贵。

Bitcoin miners have been seeking to increase other sources of income after the “50-per-cent” reduction in incentives for miners. Bitcoin mining requires large amounts of electricity and stable network connections, which are essential to AI’s development, and the electricity resources available to Bitcoin miners are even more valuable given the current tight supply of AI’s electricity.

根据国际能源署（IEA）的数据，使用OpenAI旗下的聊天机器人ChatGPT进行一次查询，耗费的电量为2.9瓦时，而谷歌搜索只需0.3瓦时，只有前者的约十分之一。该机构预计，到2026年，与数据中心、加密货币和AI相关的电力消耗可能会增加至620到1050太瓦时，这相当于德国一整年的电力需求。

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), a query using ChatGPT, a chat robot under the flag of OpenAI, consumes 2.9 watt-hours of electricity, while Google searches take only about one tenth of the three. By 2026, the agency expects that electricity consumption associated with data centres, encrypted money, and AI may increase to 620 to 1050 watt-hours, which is equivalent to a full year of electricity demand in Germany.

事实上，除Core Scientific外，一些头部比特币矿企也已经在尝试与AI企业合作。2023年11月10日，比特小鹿（Bitdeer）与英伟达达成合作协议，成为亚洲地区首个提供DGX H100 SuperPOD云服务的Cloud Service Provider（CSP）合作伙伴，为AI模型的开发和训练提供GPU云服务。

In fact, in addition to Core Scientific, a number of head bitcoin companies are already trying to work with AI firms. On November 10, 2023, Bitdeer entered into a cooperation agreement with British Weida to become the first DGX H100 SuperPOD (CSP) partner in Asia to provide GPU services for the development and training of the AI model.

上市矿企Hut 8在今年第一季度的财报中表示，该公司已购买了首批1000块英伟达GPU，并与一家风险投资机构支持的人工智能云平台达成了客户协议。Hut 8预计该业务将在今年下半年开始创收，年收入可达到约2000万美元。

The listed mining company Hut 8 stated in its financial statement for the first quarter of this year that it had already purchased the first 1,000 British Wetland GPUs and reached a client agreement with an artificial intelligence cloud platform supported by a venture capital agency. Hut 8 expects the business to start generating revenue in the second half of the year, with an annual income of about $20 million.

Bit Digital公布的数据显示，截至4月底，该公司已有251台服务器正积极从其第一份人工智能合同中创收，该公司称当月从该业务中获得了约 410万美元的收入。俄罗斯比特币挖矿公司Intelion也在近日宣布，拟在AI领域投资1.35亿美元，用于人工智能计算的服务器设备。

According to data released by Bit Digital, by the end of April, the company had 251 servers active in generating revenue from its first artificial intelligence contract, and the company claimed to have earned some $4.1 million from the business that month. Intelion, the Russian company Bitcoin Mining, has also announced in recent days that it intends to invest $135 million in server equipment in AI for artificial intelligence calculations.

“AI应用需要大量的计算能力，而这通常与电力消耗密切相关，这让比特币矿商手中的电力资源变得非常有价值。”高泽龙表示，比特币矿企通常拥有大量的电力资源和计算能力，建立了庞大的服务器网络和数据中心，这些基础设施可以很容易地适应AI应用的需求，转化为AI领域的优势。

“AI applications require a great deal of computing capacity, which is often closely linked to electricity consumption, which makes electricity resources in the hands of bitcoin miners very valuable.” According to Gautco, Bitcoins usually have significant power resources and computing capacity, and have a large network of servers and data centres that can easily adapt to the needs of AI applications and translate into advantages in the AI field.

王鹏认为，比特币矿企拥有丰富的计算资源和电力供应，这些资源在AI领域同样具有重要价值。矿企布局AI领域可以实现资源的有效整合和利用。

Wang Peng believes that Bitcoin has a wealth of computing resources and electricity, which are also of great value in the AI area. Effective integration and use of resources can be achieved in the AI area.

“这种转型不仅可以为矿企带来新的收入来源，也可以减少他们对比特币价格波动的依赖。”天使投资人、资深人工智能专家郭涛向《华夏时报》记者表示，AI的发展可能会带来更大的电力需求，这可能会推高电力成本，从而影响挖矿的利润。此外，AI的发展也可能会带来新的挖矿技术，比如更高效的算法，这可能会改变挖矿的竞争态势。

“This transformation not only brings new sources of income to mining companies, but also reduces their dependence on the price volatility of the bitcoin.” Angel investors and senior artificial intelligence expert Guo Tao told the Washington Times reporters that AI’s development could lead to greater demand for electricity, which could push up the cost of electricity, thereby affecting the profits of mining. Moreover, AI’s development could also lead to new mining techniques, such as more efficient algorithms, which could change the competitive dynamics of mining.

据Bitpro Consulting的调查，5%—15%的GPU矿机可以重新用于AI视觉和生成图形设计等相关的应用程序。然而，转型AI，矿工们还面临着诸多挑战。Needham分析师指出，除了变压器、变电站和一些开关装置，矿工目前拥有的几乎所有基础设施都需要推倒重建，以适应HPC。此外，用于比特币挖矿的ASIC芯片也不能用于AI计算，需要购买大量的GPU来替代。

According to the Bitpro Consulting survey, 5-15% of the GPU machines can be reused for applications related to AI visual and graphic design. However, transforming AI, miners face many challenges. Needham analysts point out that, in addition to transformers, transformers, and some switches, almost all of the infrastructure currently owned by miners needs to be rebuilt to accommodate HPC.

高泽龙认为，从挖矿转向AI可能需要新的技术知识和专业人才，这可能需要时间和投资。AI是一个高度竞争的市场，矿企需要面对来自传统AI公司和科技巨头的竞争。此外，AI领域可能面临更复杂的法规和数据隐私问题，矿企需要适应这些新的法规环境。

Gao Zelón believes that a shift from mining to AI may require new technical knowledge and expertise, which may require time and investment. AI is a highly competitive market in which mining companies face competition from traditional AI companies and technology giants. Moreover, the AI sector may face more complex regulatory and data privacy issues, and mining firms may need to adapt to these new regulatory environments.

“由于AI技术的发展需要大量的资金和技术支持，矿企将要面对更高的运营成本和风险。”萨摩耶云科技集团首席经济学家郑磊向《华夏时报》记者表示，由于比特币网络难度调整机制的存在，挖矿难度会随着时间的推移而增加，这意味着矿工们需要不断提高算力才能保持收益。同时，挖矿收益的减少，也将促使矿工们寻找新的盈利点。

“As the development of AI technology requires substantial financial and technical support, mining companies will face higher operating costs and risks.” The chief economist of the Samoye Clouds Technology Group told the Washington Times that the difficulty of mining would increase over time because of the difficulty of adjusting the Bitcoin network, which means that miners will need to continue to improve their profitability.

责任编辑：徐芸茜 主编：公培佳

RESPONSIBILITY: Xu Jinxi, editor-in-chief: Picah.