Crusoe Energy sells Bitcoin mining arm to NYDIG, turns focus to AI

United States-based Bitcoin miner Crusoe Energy is wrapping up its Bitcoin mining business as it plans to shift focus towards the artificial intelligence sector.

According to a recent press release, Crusoe will sell 425 of its modular data centers— spanning sites across Colorado, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah, Texas, and Argentina — with a combined 270 megawatts of power generation capacity, to the New York Digital Investment Group.

The deal also includes its Digital Flare Mitigation business, and around 135 employees will transition to NYDIG.

“Our innovative approach to energy utilized for mining is uniquely complementary to NYDIG’s bitcoin custody, institutional trading and mining businesses, creating a consolidated business that is more valuable than the sum of its parts,” Chase Lochmiller, CEO and co-founder of Crusoe, said regarding the acquisition.

NYDIG, which already has a strong presence in Bitcoin custody, trading, and mining, plans to continue operating and investing in the newly acquired business. In a separate announcement, the firm said the move will help support Bitcoin’s proof-of-work mechanism and contribute to the network’s long-term security.

Founded in 2018, Crusoe Energy was among the first U.S. Bitcoin mining firms to harness wasted natural gas to fuel the high-performance computing needed for both crypto mining and AI workloads. 

Now, the company says it’s ready to shift gears and focus on scaling its AI infrastructure.

“We will continue to channel the same energy-first mentality towards scaling AI infrastructure and accelerating the adoption and proliferation of AI in our everyday lives,” Lochmiller added.

Signs of a transition to AI had already emerged in 2024, when Crusoe announced a multibillion-dollar deal with energy tech firm Lancium to build a 200-megawatt AI data center in Abilene, Texas.

Touted as the “first phase” of a larger expansion, the facility was set to tap into up to 1.2 gigawatts of clean power and support GPU clusters designed for AI training and inference at scale.

At the time, Lochmiller called the project a unique opportunity to “sustainably power the future of AI.” Although a specific launch date wasn’t confirmed, the facility was expected to go live in 2025.

Crusoe’s transition to AI comes at a time when the U.S. government is also turning its attention to the sector. Since returning to office in 2025, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at encouraging American leadership in artificial intelligence.