Marathon Digital Holdings (MARA), a prominent crypto miner in North America, has reported a better-than-expected Q1 loss per share. A surge in bitcoin prices and increased production have aided the Florida-based company’s return to profitability. However, the company also revealed that it received another subpoena from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), investigating related-party transactions that may have violated federal securities law.
The company’s net loss of $0.05 per share surpassed the average estimate of $0.08, according to FactSet data, with revenue rising to $51.1 million from the previous quarter’s $28.4 million. After facing various challenges in 2021, such as the bankruptcy of hosting partner Compute North, Marathon increased production with its operational hashrate up by 64% to 11.5 exahash/second (EH/s). Bitcoin production reached a record high of 2,195 ($80 million) in Q1.
Marathon’s journey toward growth and the simultaneous SEC scrutiny display contrasting aspects of the evolving crypto mining sector. As the company’s Chairman and CEO, Fred Thiel, noted, a strong start to the year featured growth in hash rate, reduced mining costs, and an improved balance sheet.
Despite this upswing, Marathon’s shares fell by more than 2% in Thursday’s pre-market Nasdaq trading. The latest SEC subpoena comes after an earlier one involving 6 million shares of common stock related to the company’s Hardin, Montana facility.
Looking ahead, Marathon aims to expand its operations beyond North America, with plans to enter the Middle East. The recent announcement of a joint venture with an investment firm backed by Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund for a 200 MW immersion-cooled facility in the emirate illustrates the company’s ambitious push for geographic growth.
Marathon has made significant strides in reducing its debt levels, which were previously among the highest for publicly traded miners. In March, it terminated a credit facility with Silvergate Bank, paying back $30 million beforehand.
Although Marathon Digital Holdings shows potential for continued growth, it must successfully navigate the SEC’s investigations to solidify its position in the crypto mining market. The company’s ongoing efforts to increase production, enter new markets, and reduce debt may help mitigate concerns among investors; however, these developments must coexist with the ever-present regulatory scrutiny.
Source: Coindesk
