HashrateUp - A Bitcoin Mining Podcast

Curtailing your mine can cost you more than running it. Dan Lawrence, CEO and co-founder of OBM, started mining in a garage in Maryland in 2017 and built Foreman to stop driving an hour to reboot machines. Today Foreman turns Bitcoin miners on and off based on power prices, profitability and grid stress. Now Dan is building Vantage, a platform that reads the utility meter every 10 seconds and shows miners what their power bill really looks like.

Dan explains why demand charges punish miners who shut down, how one peak early in the month sets your bill for the entire cycle, and why many sites overshoot demand response events and give up production for nothing. He says the era of 100 to 300 MW Bitcoin mines in North America is ending, and the future belongs to smaller sites on stranded wind, underutilized transformers and co-located power.

I also ask Dan about how customers vote on Foreman's roadmap, why OBM won't build firmware or run a pool, whether AI-built software can replace fleet management, the total addressable market problem of a Bitcoin SaaS company, what the AI pivot means for large miners, and why ASIC manufacturers are now mining their own machines.

Nothing discussed is financial advice. Do your own diligence before making mining or hosting decisions.

Guest: Dan Lawrence, CEO & Co-Founder of OBM (Foreman)
OBM: https://obm.io
Foreman: https://foreman.mn
Email: dan@obm.io
Telegram: https://t.me/foreman_dan

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro
1:25 What Foreman is and what it does
3:35 From garage miners to fleet management
4:40 How customers vote on the roadmap
5:44 OBM, Foreman and Vantage explained
6:49 Paying for power the day after you use it
8:58 No firmware, no pool: why partnerships win
10:24 Can AI-built software replace fleet management?
12:33 The TAM problem of Bitcoin SaaS
15:04 Hashrate volatility and the AI pivot
16:08 Stranded wind and smaller sites in North America
17:35 Sponsor: Altair Technology
17:56 Why giant Bitcoin mines are over
21:53 Manufacturers mining their own machines
23:19 Off-grid solar and niche customers
25:06 Why miners don't switch software
27:16 Vantage: real-time meter data every 10 seconds
29:46 Demand charges: paying for capacity you don't use
31:34 Billing cycles most miners don't understand
32:38 Overshooting demand response events
33:43 Wrap-up

Sponsored by:

Altair Technology. ASIC hardware, replacement parts and mining infrastructure
Code: HASHRATEUP
https://altairtech.io/aff/125/

HashrateUp Hardware Deals: https://t.me/hashrateup
Free 5-Day Bitcoin Mining Course: https://hashrateup.com/newsletter-sign-up/

#BitcoinMining #Foreman #OBM #DemandResponse #EnergyCosts #MiningSoftware #HashrateUp

HashrateUp Hydro Hosting is live: enterprise-grade, hydro-cooled hosting in Texas, now open to small miners starting at just one machine.
👉 Get started: https://hashrateup.com

After three years of selling miners and connecting clients directly with hosts, I've decided to aggregate smaller allocations for a facility that usually only works with large orders. In this video, I explain why I waited, why I think now is a great time to mine, and how to calculate your real cost to mine one Bitcoin.

My thesis: with AI competing for power, slowing ASIC efficiency gains and constrained hashrate growth, hashprice can move sharply higher. I think it's heading toward $100.

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro: HashrateUp Hydro Hosting
0:40 Why I avoided aggregated hosting until now
2:30 Proof of Prudence: cost vs. risk
3:45 Why now is a great time to mine
5:45 How to calculate your cost to mine 1 BTC
7:30 Bitcoin price outlook: CAGR, Saylor, Strive
10:00 Calculator walkthrough
12:00 Hashprice assumptions & the halving
14:00 Hosting terms
16:30 Transparent metering & billing
18:00 The site & available models
19:00 How to get started

📲 HashrateUp Hardware Deals: https://t.me/hashrateup
📩 Free 5-Day Bitcoin Mining Course: https://hashrateup.com/newsletter-sign-up/

Not financial advice. Bitcoin mining involves hardware, operational and price risk.

#BitcoinMining #HydroHosting #BitcoinHosting #Hashprice #HashrateUp

Public Bitcoin miners shed about 75 EH/s in the first half of 2026, roughly $1.5 billion worth of mining hardware, as their power moves to AI. In this NEWS episode, Jesse breaks down who is leaving, where the hashrate is going and what it means for the miners who stay.

Hashprice is back at $38.88, but a +6.3% difficulty adjustment is coming. Ethiopia cuts miners' power by 75%, CleanSpark's $6.6B lease turns out to be with Meta, and public miners carry $35B in AI debt. Meanwhile the US keeps losing hashrate while Pakistan, Venezuela and Paraguay come back online, Foundry's founding CEO steps down and Binance shuts its mining pool.

Nothing discussed is financial advice. Do your own diligence before making mining or hosting decisions.

Sources:
Ethiopia cuts miners' power by 75%: https://news.bitcoin.com/mining/ethiopias-bitcoin-mining-boom-just-ran-into-a-water-problem/
AI infrastructure debt reaches $35B: https://forklog.com/en/news/debt-financing-for-miners-and-ai-firms-reaches-35-billion
CleanSpark names Meta as Sandersville tenant: https://thedeepdive.ca/cleanspark-reveals-meta-behind-6-6-billion-ai-lease-requires-2-23-billion-financing/
Bitcoin's Great Unplug: https://news.bitcoin.com/bitcoins-great-unplug-1-5-billion-in-hardware-behind-the-ai-pivot/
Global Hashrate Heatmap Q4 2026: https://hashrateindex.com/blog/global-hashrate-heatmap-update-q4-2026-c/
Foundry CEO steps down: https://cryptobriefing.com/foundry-ceo-mike-colyer-steps-down/
TeraWulf expands Muskie to 1 GW: https://news.constructconnect.com/terawulf-expands-kentucky-data-center-power-commitment-to-1-gw
Binance shuts down its mining pool: https://cointelegraph.com/news/binance-shut-down-crypto-mining-pool-november

Timestamps:

0:00 Hashprice $38.88 and a +6.3% difficulty adjustment
0:00 Hashrate back to May levels
0:00 Ethiopia cuts mining power by 75%
0:00 $35B in debt behind the AI build-out
0:00 CleanSpark's $6.6B Meta lease
0:00 Sponsor: Altair Technology
0:00 Bitcoin's Great Unplug: $1.5B in hardware
0:00 Where hashrate is moving: Q4 heatmap by country
0:00 Foundry CEO steps down as block share falls
0:00 TeraWulf expands to 1 GW
0:00 Binance shuts down its mining pool
0:00 Hydro hosting aggregation, starting from one machine
0:00 Outlook: hashrate vs difficulty

Sponsored by:

Altair Technology. ASIC hardware, replacement parts and mining infrastructure
Code: HASHRATEUP
https://altairtech.io/aff/125/

HashrateUp Hardware Deals: https://t.me/hashrateup
Free 5-Day Bitcoin Mining Course: https://hashrateup.com/newsletter-sign-up/

#BitcoinMining #Hashrate #AIPivot #MiningPools #Ethiopia #CleanSpark #BitcoinNews #HashrateUp

Cheap power means nothing if the government turns against you. Giannis Andreou, CEO of Bitmern Mining, started hosting Bitcoin miners in the UAE on agricultural power below 6¢/kWh, was forced out when the government banned that power, moved to Ethiopia, and is now watching the same story repeat as the Ethiopian government takes over mining and large operators pack up and leave.

Giannis breaks down what went wrong in both countries, why it took 45 days to get his miners out of the UAE, how Ethiopia's uptime fell to 70% before things got worse, and why exporting miners from Ethiopia comes with a 35% tax. His conclusion: own the land and the infrastructure, or don't build on it at all.

We also cover his pivot to buying two farms in Texas (5.5 MW and 8 MW), why AI data centers pay 17 to 25¢/kWh while he found power at 3.9¢, why he stopped retail hosting, a 20 MW joint venture opportunity in Brazil, and how he borrowed against mined Bitcoin to pay for power at $25K and held it to $107K.

Nothing discussed is financial advice. Do your own diligence before making mining or hosting decisions.

Guest: Giannis Andreou, Founder & CEO of Bitmern Mining
Bitmern Mining: https://www.bitmernmining.com
Bitmern on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bitmernmining
Giannis on X: https://x.com/gandreou007
Giannis on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gianisandreou
Giannis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giannisandreou/

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro
0:46 From crypto YouTuber to Bitcoin miner
2:23 Central banks and the case for mining
4:21 Greece, Cyprus and the banking crisis
6:39 Why the UAE in 2023
7:35 Agricultural power below 6¢/kWh
8:43 Renting farms vs building your own
9:29 How to choose a hosting partner
11:07 Leaving the UAE: 45 days to move miners
12:30 UAE loopholes and $600K per MW capex
13:38 Ethiopia: from great to complete disaster
15:02 The lesson: own the land and the farm
15:45 Sponsor: Altair Technology
16:16 Why 30 minutes from the airport is a red flag
17:40 The pivot: buying 5.5 MW and 8 MW in Texas
18:37 Bitcoin mining vs AI: 3.9¢ vs 25¢/kWh
21:12 Why he stopped retail hosting
22:56 Finland, Norway and the hidden costs abroad
23:44 Ethiopia's 35% export tax on miners
24:44 Manufacturer JVs and 20 MW in Brazil
25:51 Is Bitcoin mining becoming institutional only?
27:31 Why hashrate didn't drop at $60K
28:36 Will Bitcoin average above $120K?
30:31 Borrowing against BTC to pay for power
32:51 Communicating downtime to customers
34:18 Bribes, quotas and the 20% energy rule
35:24 Wrap-up

Sponsored by:

Altair Technology. ASIC hardware, replacement parts and mining infrastructure
Code: HASHRATEUP
https://altairtech.io/aff/125/

HashrateUp Hardware Deals: https://t.me/hashrateup
Free 5-Day Bitcoin Mining Course: https://hashrateup.com/newsletter-sign-up/

#BitcoinMining #Ethiopia #UAE #BitmernMining #TexasMining #MiningHosting #HashrateUp

Texas is ending 4CP. The incentive that saved flexible miners roughly $50,000 per MW per year is likely in its final season, and ERCOT is moving toward 12CP by 2028. Haley Thomson, Director of Energy at Luxor, explains what that means for Bitcoin miners and who ends up paying for the grid.Haley breaks down how 4CP actually works, why firm loads are pushing for change, and how 18+ GW of new battery storage has compressed capacity prices across ERCOT. We also cover why Bitcoin mining is close to the perfect grid-balancing load, how batteries and miners compare as grid assets, and how Luxor performed what's likely the first 4CP curtailment of GPUs in ERCOT.We also walk through the Luxor Energy dashboard live, from tracking load against breakeven to iMiner underclocking, 4CP buffer settings and what it really costs to be online during a peak. At the time of recording, 4CP season 2026 was likely already over.This episode is not sponsored by Luxor. Nothing discussed is financial advice. Do your own diligence before making energy or mining decisions.Guest: Haley Thomson, Director of Energy at Luxor TechnologyLuxor Energy: https://luxor.tech/energyHaley on Hashrate Index: https://hashrateindex.com/blog/author/haley/Luxor: https://luxor.techTimestamps:0:00 Intro0:45 Can AI provide grid flexibility?1:31 The first GPU 4CP curtailment in ERCOT3:45 What 4CP is worth: ~$50K per MW per year6:02 How 4CP works and who pays for the grid8:54 Why Bitcoin mining is the perfect flexible load11:45 Adding 60 GW of renewables: the transmission bottleneck14:00 Why firm loads want 4CP gone16:43 How miners lower off-peak energy prices20:57 Renewables, congestion and transmission costs24:54 12CP explained: what changes for miners29:29 Curtailing at $0 power: the solar mismatch31:04 How 18 GW of batteries reshaped ERCOT36:22 Battery vs Bitcoin mine39:10 Capex: batteries vs hydro vs air-cooled mining41:49 Luxor Energy dashboard walkthrough43:54 iMiner: raising breakeven from $75 to $90/MWh45:28 4CP buffer settings and risk48:58 What missing a 4CP peak really costs51:54 The AI pivot and tier-zero data centers55:11 Where to find Haley and Luxor EnergySponsored by:Altair Technology. ASIC hardware, replacement parts and mining infrastructureCode: HASHRATEUPhttps://altairtech.io/aff/125/HashrateUp Hardware Deals: https://t.me/hashrateupFree 5-Day Bitcoin Mining Course: https://hashrateup.com/newsletter-sign-up/#BitcoinMining #ERCOT #4CP #LuxorEnergy #HashrateUp