Bitcoin mining firms sell holdings and shift toward AI cloud services

German‑based cryptocurrency firms Empery Digital and Strategy have sold large portions of their Bitcoin reserves. Empery Digital disposed of 1,400 BTC for about $87 million to fund a move into AI‑infrastructure, repay $10 million of debt and acquire a 25 percent stake in a data‑center project. Strategy sold 3,588 BTC for $216 million, the biggest single Bitcoin sale in its history, and used the proceeds for dividend payments while still holding roughly 844,000 BTC. At the same time, large‑wallet owners bought around 270,000 BTC worth $16.7 billion, and Citi cut its 12‑month Bitcoin price target to $82,000. US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net outflows, and the Fear‑and‑Greed index fell to 22, indicating extreme market pessimism.

Meanwhile, IREN, another German firm traditionally focused on Bitcoin mining, is redirecting its strategy toward AI‑cloud services. Freedom Capital upgraded IREN to a "Strong‑Buy" with a $58 price target, forecasting revenue growth from $717 million this year to $3.1 billion by FY2027. The company is scaling down mining operations, which may depress short‑term earnings, while its AI‑cloud segment reported a 94.2 percent quarterly increase. IREN is also exploring a potential 1.4‑GW data‑center contract in Australia and has discussed a possible $800 million capital raise.