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By Meg Flippin, Benzinga

BitFuFu Inc. (NASDAQ: FUFU), the digital asset mining company based in Singapore, posted first-quarter revenue that soared 149% year-over-year, buoyed by strong demand for its Bitcoin mining services.

For the first three months of the year, total revenue was $144.4 million compared to $58 million in the year-ago first quarter. Net income of $35.3 million was much higher than the $2.7 million reported in Q1 2023 while adjusted EBITDA increased 430.9% to $49.4 million. Revenue from BitFuFu’s cloud-mining solutions rose 181% year-over-year, while sales from Bitcoin self-mining operations grew 117%. The company’s cash position also increased, hitting $163.7 million as of the end of March. BitFuFu ended 2023 with $76 million in its coffers.

“BitFuFu had a very strong quarter. We are actively taking steps to reduce operational costs, increase margins and decrease our carbon footprint. Our ability to generate cash and strengthen our balance sheet ideally positions us to capitalize on growth opportunities going forward,” Leo Lu, BitFuFu’s chairman and CEO, said on a conference call to discuss first-quarter results with Wall Street. “These factors combine to form what we believe is a compelling strategy that will create long-term sustainable shareholder value.”

Key Areas Firing On All Cylinders

During the quarter, BitFuFu saw strong growth in key business areas, including registered users, hosting capacity and Bitcoin production by customers. Hosting capacity is up 25.5% to 644 MW, while registered users hit 321,184, a 63.5% increase from last year’s first quarter.

The growth in cloud registered users is notable given the market is concentrated with the top five players accounting for 75% of the market in terms of revenue last year, according to data BitFuFu cited from Frost & Sullivan. BitFuFu's ability to increase users amid intense competition is a testament to its leadership. The company says it's the largest player in this segment, accounting for a third of the market in 2023.

That may appeal to investors, given the growth of BitFuFu’s U.S. counterparts. Take Riot Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: RIOT) for starters. The company, which is known for keeping costs for customers at bay, is in acquisition mode, recently offering $930 million to acquire bitcoin miner Bitfarms Ltd. (NASDAQ: BITF). Then there is Marathon Digital Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: MARA), which has seen bitcoin mining output growth similar to BitFuFu. Its stock is up more than 120% compared to a year ago. The same story is playing out at Cleanspark Inc. (NASDAQ: CLSK). Amid brisk demand, its market cap stands at over $4 billion. BitFuFu’s market cap pales in comparison but that may not be for too long if the company has its way.

“BitFuFu has experienced significant growth over the past four years as the value proposition of our cloud mining services increasingly gains traction. The one-stop service we provided to customers is a more efficient and convenient way for customers to mine Bitcoin, and a more profitable way for them to acquire Bitcoin at reasonable cost,” said Lu. “During the first quarter, demand for cloud mining services continued to grow, driven in large part by the increase in the price of Bitcoin.” Bitcoin production by customers from cloud-mining solutions increased 53.0% to 2,096 BTCs. Meanwhile, the cost to mine BTC from self-mining operations averaged $39,182 per BTC versus US$21,908 per BTC in 2023. Total mining capacity under management increased 52.1% to a record 28.6 EH/s, compared to 18.8 EH/S during Q1 2023.

Given its position in the market, Lu said the company is confident in its ability to continue growing revenue as it acquires more users (both registered and paying) and expands the number of miners with the strong support of its long-term partner Bitmain Technologies Ltd., which makes Bitcoin mining hardware. Reputation is everything in the cloud mining industry, and counting Bitmain as an exclusive partner gives BitFuFu even more credibility.

Keeping Costs At Bay

When it comes to running a cloud mining company, keeping costs in line is key to profitability, and BitFuFu kept a focus on it even during the quarter. Take its hosting capacity for one example. Lu said on the call the company is reducing hosting and power costs by exploring opportunities to acquire existing facilities or build new mining infrastructure in the U.S. and other geographies. “We are currently in negotiations with operators of existing mining facilities on the potential for joint ventures or acquisitions. We are also considering greenfield projects. Some of these projects have made meaningful progress and are in the final stages,” said Lu.

Then there’s its pursuit of future power supply resources and renewable energy to support its efforts to reduce operational costs, increase revenue streams and achieve carbon-neutral operations. To hedge against grid dependency and the fluctuating cost of power, which Lu said is crucial to stabilizing operations, BitFuFu is exploring off-grid opportunities including flare gas, which to date is underutilized by the industry. “We are excited to announce the launch of our first small-scale flare gas deployment in Texas in partnership with one of the region's most proactive developers,” said BitFuFu’s CEO. ”Following a successful proof-of-concept, we expect the project to be fully operational by the end of 2024 where it will lower our mining costs and increase our gross margins.”

Expanding Its Offering

If that isn’t enough for the mining services company, BitFuFu is ensuring it continues to drive growth across its business by expanding into new products and services that will benefit the overall industry and make BitFuFu more money. One example is a mining facility management system BitFuFu built for mining facilities it and its partners operate. Currently, the system manages over 50,000 mining rigs and helps the company enhance and refine miner management, including through the timely detection of mining rig failures and potential risks and the ability to directly adjust the operating mode of the machines to optimize their profitability. “In the future, by providing this system to more mining facilities and partners, we believe we can increase BitFuFu's brand recognition and expand our partnerships and resources,” said Lu.

When it comes to mining for digital assets through the cloud, speed, reliability and reputation are key to making money. Most are looking for a secure provider that will be around for the long haul. BitFuFu seems to check off all the boxes, and judging from its first-quarter earnings results, customers agree.

Featured photo by Kanchanara on Unsplash.

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