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IREN's Bitcoin computing power has surpassed 50 EH/s, entering the top tier of global mining companies, while simultaneously expanding AI infrastructure

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, the publicly listed Bitcoin mining company IREN announced that its self-operated Bitcoin computing power has reached 50 EH/s, accounting for about 6% of the total network computing power (842 EH/s), achieving its mid-year goal. This computing power scale ranks fourth in the industry, only behind Marathon Digital (57.3 EH/s), CleanSpark (50 EH/s), and Riot Platforms (33.7 EH/s). In its Texas 750MW mining facility, 650MW has been put into operation, driving a nearly 50-fold increase in computing power within 30 months.IREN's co-CEO Daniel Roberts stated that the 50 EH/s milestone confirms the efficient delivery capability of energy and data center infrastructure. The company's Bitcoin mining cost in the second quarter was $41,000 per coin, benefiting from 15 J/TH energy-efficient equipment and renewable energy advantages. The current Bitcoin price is approximately $106,542, and the low-cost structure provides it with resilience against market fluctuations.The AI transformation strategy is also being advanced: the Texas mining facility will build a 50MW liquid-cooled AI data center (Horizon 1), scheduled to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2025. The company adopts a GPU hosting model to serve AI clients and plans to issue $450 million in convertible preferred notes to support its expansion.

Bank for International Settlements: Stablecoins have not passed the "three key tests" and are unlikely to become the core of the future monetary system

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) stated in a report released on Tuesday that stablecoins do not qualify as money. The institution, known as the "central bank of central banks," pointed out in the report that digital assets pegged to fiat currencies failed to meet the "three key tests" required to constitute the core of a monetary system: singleness, elasticity, and integrity.The authors of the report wrote in this annual publication, "It remains to be seen what role stablecoins will play in the future monetary system." The report focuses on the next generation of financial systems. "However, stablecoins perform poorly in the three core characteristics necessary for building a sound monetary system, and therefore cannot serve as a pillar of the future monetary system." Nevertheless, the report also acknowledges that stablecoins have certain advantages, such as programmability, pseudonymity, and providing convenient access for new users.Additionally, from a technical perspective, they have the potential to offer lower costs and faster transaction speeds in cross-border payments. However, the authors also pointed out that compared to currencies issued by central banks and instruments issued by commercial banks and other private entities, stablecoins may pose systemic risks, such as undermining government monetary sovereignty (sometimes achieved through "implicit dollarization") and facilitating illegal activities. Although stablecoins play a clear role as channels for funds in and out of the crypto ecosystem and are widely used in countries with high inflation, strict capital controls, or limited access to dollar accounts, the BIS stated that these assets should not be viewed as "cash."
2025-06-25
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