Starcloud Officially Launches Bitcoin Mining in Orbit, Ushering in the Age of Space Mining

According to Cointelegraph, the startup Starcloud supported by Nvidia has announced a bold move: mining Bitcoin directly from space. The company plans to launch its second spacecraft later this year, aiming to become a pioneer in extraterrestrial cryptocurrency mining. This is not just a scientific experiment but also a strategic business move based on economic calculations.

ASICs are up to 30 times more efficient than GPUs — The key to space mining

Starcloud CEO Philip Johnston emphasized that operating ASIC miners in orbit will be “one of the most exciting applications” of space computing technology, mainly due to cost considerations. A clear comparison shows the difference: GPUs cost up to 30 times more per kilowatt-hour than ASICs. Specifically, a Nvidia B200 chip with 1 kW power consumption can cost around $30,000, while an equivalent ASIC miner requires only about $1,000. This cost gap is the main driver behind the shift of Bitcoin mining to space.

From Earth to space — The future of mining industry

Johnston believes that Bitcoin mining will become “a large-scale industry” once deployed in orbit. Mining activities on Earth will gradually become “impractical,” and eventually all operations will move to space. This is an industry forecast of technological evolution.

Satellite infrastructure — The foundation of orbital mining

Starcloud’s satellite data center currently owns about 88,000 satellites, mainly powered by solar energy. The company was founded in early 2024 and launched a satellite equipped with Nvidia H100 processors last November. These satellites form a complete infrastructure network for Bitcoin mining from orbit.