The upcoming Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) halving event, expected on April 20, could impact the Bitcoin mining industry, according to a recent JPMorgan report.
What Happened: The report by analysts Reginald Smith and Charles Pearce highlights the potential implications of the Bitcoin halving event, which will reduce the block reward for mining new bitcoins by 50%. This reduction could lead to a wave of consolidation and business closures within the industry, while potentially benefiting the remaining operators.
The industry's gross profits, currently estimated at around $2.5 billion per quarter, are projected to decline by 30% to 40%. The network hashrate, a measure of the computational power dedicated to mining, could decrease by as much as 80 Exahashes per second (or 13%) from peak to trough.
Historically, Bitcoin has appreciated significantly in the months following halving events although not immediately. Also, the current market conditions may differ from previous cycles.
Also Read: Marathon, Riot, Hut 8 CEOs Tell Benzinga How Bitcoin Halving Will Impact Miners
Why It Matters: The halving event is a crucial part of Bitcoin's economic model, designed to regulate the rate of new Bitcoin creation. With the block reward halving every four years, Bitcoin prices have rallied post-halving events due to reduced supply, more efficient miners and increased demand.
Among the companies covered, CleanSpark (NASDAQ:CLSK) is considered the best positioned due to its efficient mining fleet, low all-in mining costs, and favorable hashrate comparisons, which should drive record revenues and profits post-halving.
Conversely, Cipher Mining (NASDAQ:CIFR) is viewed as the worst positioned in the near term, despite having the lowest energy prices, due to tough hashrate comparisons and relatively high overhead expenses, which will weigh on revenue and profit growth.
What's Next: The influence of meme coins and Bitcoin as an institutional asset class are topics expected to be thoroughly explored at Benzinga's upcoming Future of Digital Assets event on Nov. 19.
This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image created using artificial intelligence with Midjourney.