Starcloud plans to launch Bitcoin mining ASICs aboard its second satellite
Nvidia-backed space data center startup Starcloud says it will include Bitcoin mining ASICs on its Starcloud-2 satellite, set to launch later this year, according to CEO Philip Johnston. The company was originally founded to move AI data centers into orbit, leveraging constant solar power and space-based cooling, but is now adding crypto mining as a secondary use of that energy.
If successful, this would be the first orbital Bitcoin mining operation, testing whether abundant solar power in space can offset the enormous energy costs of both AI computation and cryptocurrency mining without Earth's permitting and grid constraints. It also signals how commercial space ventures are diversifying revenue streams beyond their original AI-focused pitch to investors.
- Starcloud plans to mine Bitcoin using ASICs aboard its Starcloud-2 satellite launching later this year.
- The company's core mission is building space-based AI data centers powered by continuous solar energy.
- The move wasn't mentioned in Starcloud-2's official project page, making the CEO's public statement notable.
Source: tomshardware.com — Mark Tyson, 2026-09-22
Published there as: “‘We’ll be the first to mine Bitcoin in space’ says Nvidia-backed startup”
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