Bitcoin May Be Down, but These Cryptocurrency Miner Stocks Are Soaring Today The

What happened

The bitcoin rally has faded for now. According to CoinDesk, bitcoin hit an all-time high of $24,273 on Sunday, but it’s pulled back about 6% as of this writing. But even though bitcoin is down today, stocks for bitcoin miners are up. Consider how these stocks ended the day:

The movement of these stocks could have a very simple explanation: Stocks don’t trade on the weekends. By contrast, cryptocurrencies like bitcoin can be bought and sold 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Image source: Getty Images.

So what

Bitcoin hit its all-time high over the weekend, while the stock market was closed. Since cryptocurrency-miner stocks tend to follow the price of bitcoin up and down, it’s only logical to see them going up today now that the stock market is open.

To be clear, we can rule out alternative catalysts. None of these companies reported news, and I couldn’t find new coverage from prominent stock analysts. Furthermore, there’s no reason to believe Marathon, Riot Blockchain, and Bit Digital stocks are going up from a short squeeze. According to data from Nasdaq, each stock has minimal short interest (people betting against these stocks) and all can be covered in one day. Without getting too technical, suffice it to say this isn’t a ripe short-squeeze situation.

Here’s why cryptocurrency miner stocks follow the price of bitcoin: The bitcoin network is run by a decentralized network of computers that keep track of transactions. You could even set up your own computer to do this if you wanted, but you’d be competing against much faster and more powerful computers. These compete against each other to process transactions the fastest, and new bitcoin is awarded to the winner. This is the cryptocurrency mining process.

Mining bitcoin has a real cost to it. Miners pay for their spaces, equipment, and electricity. While each company’s cost structure is unique, they’ve all struggled to make a profit in recent years. Over time, the cost to mine bitcoin goes up; if the price of bitcoin doesn’t go up fast enough, it’s not profitable.

Consider recent financial data from Bit Digital. It reported results for the third quarter of 2020 on Dec. 18, covering year-to-date results through Sept. 30. In that nine-month span, the company had a net loss from continuing operations below $1 million. In other words, its business basically broke even. However, for most of that time, the price of bitcoin was less than $10,000. The price has since more than doubled, increasing Bit Digital’s opportunity to profit.

Marathon, Riot Blockchain, and Bit Digital all generate revenue by mining bitcoin. Because the price of bitcoin has more than doubled since September, these companies should start bringing in more revenue and have a shot at higher prices. That’s why these stocks go up with bitcoin.

Image source: Getty Images.

Now what

Investing legend Warren Buffett once said, “A horse that can count to ten is a remarkable horse — not a remarkable…