Bitcoin Miners Leave BTC Behind as AI Pivot Drives Massive Gains

[chainsniff]

While Bitcoin has struggled through 2026, crypto mining stocks are telling a very different story. According to 10x Research, a basket of major Bitcoin mining and AI infrastructure companies has gained 56% year-to-date, significantly outperforming Bitcoin, which remains down 17% over the same period.

The shift comes as miners increasingly reposition themselves as AI infrastructure providers. Companies like KEEL Infrastructure, Cipher Mining, IREN, TeraWulf, and Hut 8 have all announced major data center expansions, GPU investments, and long-term AI-related contracts. Investors appear to be rewarding firms that can leverage their power infrastructure for high-performance computing rather than relying solely on Bitcoin mining revenue.

The trend highlights how the AI boom is reshaping the crypto mining sector. As demand for computing power grows, miners with access to large-scale energy resources are becoming attractive plays for investors seeking exposure to both digital assets and artificial intelligence.

[ed]

hahhahahahah nowadays its more profitable to help ai generate some stupid pictures than mine btc

[bonk]

2026: buying mining stocks for AI exposure wasn't on my bingo card.