Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 12, 2026

Elon Musk changes his tune on bitcoin mining

Elon Musk changes his tune on bitcoin mining

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies plunged earlier this month after Elon Musk said Tesla would stop accepting bitcoin as payment for its vehicles because of the huge amount of energy needed to mine bitcoin. But Musk might be having a slight change of heart.

The Tesla (TSLA) and SpaceX CEO tweeted late Monday that he spoke with bitcoin miners in North America, and they "committed to publish current & planned renewable usage."

Musk added that these miners will ask their global rivals to do so as well, a development he dubbed "potentially promising."

Bitcoin prices (XBT) have stabilized a bit in recent days and are now hovering around $37,000. But that's a far cry from the all-time high of above $60,000 just last month.

The prices of other top cryptos, such as ethereum, binance coin, cardano, XRP and dogecoin, the joke coin that Musk has also tweeted about often but called a "hustle" during his recent "Saturday Night Live" appearance, have also plummeted in the past few weeks.

A crackdown on bitcoin in China, where many miners operate, isn't helping. Neither is new guidance from the US Treasury Department on how to tax bitcoin.

Still, Musk's comments boosted shares of several top bitcoin mining companies, which own facilities that operate high-end hardware used to solve the complex mathematical puzzles required to generate new bitcoin.

Riot Blockchain (RIOT), Marathon Digital Holdings (MARA) and Hive Blockchain (HVBTF) all soared more than 10% Monday before pulling back a bit Tuesday morning.

Michael Saylor, the CEO of software firm MicroStrategy (MSTR), which owns a sizable chunk of bitcoin on its balance sheet and has continued to buy more as prices have dropped, said in a series of tweets Monday that he helped arrange the meeting between Musk and the bitcoin miners.

Saylor specifically mentioned Riot, Marathon and Hive, as well as five other miners, noting that they "have agreed to form the Bitcoin Mining Council to promote energy usage transparency & accelerate sustainability initiatives worldwide."

Shares of MicroStrategy rose 5% Monday but the stock, just like shares of Tesla and bitcoin miners, has largely mirrored the moves of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as of late.

MicroStrategy is up more than 20% this year but has plummeted nearly 65% from its 52-week high, making it one of several high-profile companies whose stocks have been whipsawed in the past year.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Former Labour Adviser Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for China Held Privileged Access as Top Party Donor
Turkish Parliament Passes Landmark Bill Granting Conditional Amnesty to Disarmed PKK Members
Donald Trump Warns FIFA Against Ousting Gianni Infantino Amid Revolt by Global Football Leaders
Jeff Bezos Joins Investor Group Closing In on $6 Billion Liverpool FC Stake
UK Councils to Receive Sweeping Planning Powers to Ban New Vape and Betting Shops
Russia’s A7 Builds a State-Linked Payments Network Beyond Western Sanctions
Hyper-Realistic Reborn Dolls Draw Collectors Seeking Comfort and Craft
Gen Z Cuts Back on Dating as a Night Out Nears $200
Patients Turn to Artificial Intelligence for Therapy as Psychiatrists Warn of Privacy and Clinical Risks
Couples Embrace ‘Sleep Divorce’ to Protect Rest and Reduce Tension
Meta Ordered to Pay $567 Million and Change Facebook and Instagram Safeguards for Children
Up to only 10 Months in Prison for Swedish Officer’s Murderer Sparks Anger
Success: Nvidia Turned Gaming Chips Into the Engine of the AI Boom
Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s Father and Longtime Agent, Dies at 68
AI’s Next Bottleneck Is Power, Not Just Nvidia Chips
Advertising trick: Pepsi’s Harrier Jet Commercial Led to a $700,000 Court Fight
Meta Raises AI Spending Target to as Much as $145bn Despite Pressure Over Returns
Danube Drought Exposes Nazi Wrecks and Pushes Central Europe’s Power System to the Brink
Joe Biden’s Cancer Has Spread Beyond His Bones, Hunter Biden Says
Air Traffic Control Outage Grounded Flights Across the Midwest
Why 2027 Could Be a Strong Year for Stocks—and Why the Forecast Is Fragile
Why Markets May Look Quiet in August After Big Tech Earnings
Australian Crew Evacuates Seriously Ill American From Antarctica in Midwinter Darkness
Trump’s Top General Seeks an Exit Strategy From Iran War, Report Says
Brock Lesnar Retires From Wrestling, Closing a Career of Rare Athletic Range and Lasting Controversy
Trump-Era Policy Shifts Test the Boundaries of U.S. Institutions
UK Drought Cuts Harvests and Raises Food-Security Fears
UFO: Pentagon Releases Video of Unidentified Object Tracked Over Middle East
US Health Secretary: “I’m Not Afraid of Germs — I Used to Snort Cocaine Off Toilet Seats”
Ukraine Tells Senate Republicans Its Drone War Offers a Blueprint for America
Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules
Trump Keeps Hegseth at Pentagon While Leaving Door Open for DeSantis
UK Clears Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery Deal, but US Trial Looms
UK Prosecutors Add 38 Charges Against Andrew and Tristan Tate
Taiwan’s President Joins Wartime Command Drill as China Pressure Grows
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Mutual-Defence Pact
HMRC’s 2029 Tax Shift Could Overlap Old and New Self-Assessment Bills
Thetford Disorder Prompts Expanded Police Powers Amid Asylum-Housing Protests
Cambridge Faces Calls for Independent Review of Jason Arday Appointment
Scotland’s ‘Cock of the North’ Woodland Is Being Felled After Wind Damage
Reform UK and Greens Unite Against Vast Solar Plans for Kent Marshland
New Zealand Draws Wealthy Americans With Revamped Investor Visa
Senate Panel Votes to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt After Fifth Amendment Testimony
Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Resigns as University Opens Inquiry Into His Credentials
Manchester Power Failure Disrupts Trains Across North West Into Friday
Lightning Strike Kills Yala FC Player During Match in Southern Thailand
Senate Scrutinises AI-Driven Personalised Pricing
Spain Seeks Mainland Transfers for 1,100 Children Stranded in Ceuta
Spain and Morocco Trade Blame After 72,000 Migrants Enter Ceuta
Met Police Investigated Journalist Who Questioned Cambridge Professor
×