Crypto Treasury Companies Shift to AI as Bitcoin Falls 49% From Peak

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Key Takeaways
  • Crypto treasury companies are pivoting toward AI infrastructure and data center development following Bitcoin's 49% decline from October 2025 peak.
  • K Wave Media shares fell 71% since May strategic reset, while U.S. and Canadian digital-asset treasury stocks recorded median 43% decline since year start.
  • Former Bitcoin miners CoreWeave, Hut 8, Iren, and TeraWulf attracted renewed investor interest after converting data center capacity to AI computing infrastructure.

Companies that built their businesses around holding cryptocurrencies on their balance sheets are abandoning those strategies and shifting toward artificial intelligence in recent months. The pivot follows falling digital asset prices that have eroded investor enthusiasm for crypto treasury stocks. Bitcoin declined 49% from its October 2025 peak and was down 27% for the year through July 24, according to Bloomberg reporting Monday. Several former digital-asset treasury companies have rebranded or announced moves into AI-related businesses including data center development and computing infrastructure after their share prices slumped alongside cryptocurrencies. The shift reflects a broader trend as technology giants including Alphabet, Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic continue investing heavily in AI infrastructure, fueling demand for servers, storage devices, memory chips and data center capacity.

K Wave Media and Other Companies Record Sharp Declines After Strategic Shifts

K Wave Media Ltd. shifted from accumulating Bitcoin to developing data centers. Since announcing its strategic reset in May, its shares have fallen 71%, Bloomberg noted. Lixte Biotechnology Holdings Inc. has dropped 33% since agreeing to merge with a battery company in June. AlphaTON Capital Corp., formerly focused on alternative cryptocurrencies, has fallen 33% after rebranding as Alpha Compute Corp. in April.

The companies are part of at least a dozen digital-asset treasury firms that have pivoted toward AI-related businesses in recent months, according to Bloomberg, which cited attorneys active in both the cryptocurrency and emerging technology sectors.

Legal Firms Report Shift in Client Interest From Crypto to AI Infrastructure

"There is a lot of interest in AI and people are going to pivot to where they think their business is going to succeed," Toufic Adlouni, managing partner at Montreal-based law firm Renno & Co. LLC, told Bloomberg. He added that many firms that previously focused on digital-asset treasury strategies are either changing direction or winding down operations.

Gregory Sichenzia, founding partner at Sichenzia Ross Ference Carmel LLP, told Bloomberg that his firm, which handled numerous private placements for digital-asset treasury companies last year, has not received requests for similar transactions since October. Instead, clients are increasingly exploring opportunities tied to AI infrastructure, data centers, space technology and small modular nuclear reactors.

Digital-Asset Treasury Stocks Record Median 43% Decline Since Year Start

Digital-asset treasury companies gained popularity during the cryptocurrency rally of 2024 and early 2025 by raising capital and using corporate balance sheets to purchase digital assets such as Bitcoin. The strategy was modeled after Strategy Inc., formerly known as MicroStrategy, which began aggressively accumulating Bitcoin under Executive Chairman Michael Saylor in 2020.

The approach generated significant investor interest while cryptocurrency prices climbed. Strategy's shares rose more than 3,000% between the end of 2019 and their November 2024 peak as Bitcoin reached record highs. Since then, Strategy shares have fallen sharply while the company has reduced portions of its Bitcoin holdings.

The broader cryptocurrency market has also weakened. Ether has fallen 38% in 2026 and remains more than 60% below its August 2025 record high. Bloomberg reported that U.S. and Canadian digital-asset treasury stocks tracked by the publication have recorded a median decline of 43% since the beginning of the year, with many now trading below the net value of their cryptocurrency holdings.

AI Infrastructure Suppliers Dominate S&P 500 Performance in 2026

The migration toward AI reflects the strong performance of companies supplying computing infrastructure rather than software developers alone. Nearly all of the top 10 performers in the S&P 500 this year manufacture products used in data centers. SanDisk has gained more than 500%, while Dell Technologies, Intel and Micron Technology have also ranked among the index's strongest performers.

The trend extends beyond former crypto treasury companies. Footwear company Allbirds also repositioned itself earlier this year by rebranding as Smartbird Inc. and shifting toward AI computing infrastructure following a prolonged decline in its retail business.

Former Bitcoin Miners Attract Renewed Interest After AI Conversion

Some cryptocurrency-related companies have experienced stronger investor support after adapting existing infrastructure for AI workloads rather than abandoning their businesses entirely.

Former Bitcoin miner CoreWeave evolved from cryptocurrency mining into cloud computing infrastructure for AI before completing its March 2025 initial public offering. Reuters has reported that CoreWeave has become one of the fastest-growing AI infrastructure providers, supported by large cloud computing contracts and investments from Nvidia. Other former Bitcoin miners, including Hut 8, Iren and TeraWulf, have also attracted renewed investor interest after converting portions of their data center capacity to AI computing.

Not all legal advisers believe investor interest in blockchain technology has disappeared. Daniel Forman, a partner at Lowenstein Sandler LLP, told Bloomberg there continues to be demand for other blockchain-related businesses even as enthusiasm for the digital-asset treasury model has faded.

"I think DATs, as we've seen them, are probably done," Forman said.

FAQ

Why are crypto treasury companies shifting to AI businesses? Falling digital asset prices have eroded investor enthusiasm for crypto treasury stocks. Bitcoin declined 49% from its October 2025 peak and was down 27% for the year through July 24. U.S. and Canadian digital-asset treasury stocks tracked by Bloomberg have recorded a median decline of 43% since the beginning of the year, prompting companies to pivot toward AI-related businesses including data center development and computing infrastructure.

Which companies have pivoted from crypto to AI? K Wave Media Ltd. shifted from accumulating Bitcoin to developing data centers, with shares falling 71% since announcing its strategic reset in May. AlphaTON Capital Corp. rebranded as Alpha Compute Corp. in April and has fallen 33%. Lixte Biotechnology Holdings Inc. has dropped 33% since agreeing to merge with a battery company in June. At least a dozen digital-asset treasury firms have pivoted toward AI-related businesses in recent months, according to Bloomberg.

How have former Bitcoin miners performed after converting to AI? Former Bitcoin miner CoreWeave evolved from cryptocurrency mining into cloud computing infrastructure for AI before completing its March 2025 initial public offering. Reuters has reported that CoreWeave has become one of the fastest-growing AI infrastructure providers, supported by large cloud computing contracts and investments from Nvidia. Other former Bitcoin miners, including Hut 8, Iren and TeraWulf, have also attracted renewed investor interest after converting portions of their data center capacity to AI computing.

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