
Bitmain's stock performance has been a rollercoaster ride, with a peak value of $50.6 billion in 2018.
The company's financial struggles began in 2018, when its stock price plummeted due to a decline in cryptocurrency prices.
Bitmain's revenue dropped from $3 billion in 2017 to $2.6 billion in 2018, a decrease of 13%.
The company's net loss in 2018 was $1.1 billion, a significant increase from its net profit of $700 million in 2017.
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Bitmain's Business Model
Bitmain is a vertically-integrated company, which means it makes its own chips for mining rigs and uses them in equipment for cryptocurrency mining farms.
It's estimated that Bitmain controls as much as 80% of the market for bitcoin mining equipment, making it a dominant player in the industry.
Bitmain's Application-ASIC chips are the industry's favored workhorses for cryptocurrency mining, and any announcement regarding the development of ASICs for specific cryptocurrencies is often seen as a sign that the coin's numbers will increase in the coming months.
The company runs two of the largest bitcoin mining pools in the world, BTC.com and Antpool, which together account for between 42% and 51% of the total mining capacity for bitcoin.
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Financial Performance
Bitmain has raised $450M in funding over 2 rounds, with its latest funding round being a Series B for $400M on July 6, 2018.
The company's latest post-money valuation is from July 2018, but the exact figure is not disclosed. However, we do know that the valuation is substantial, with Bitmain's revenue reaching $X.XXB((X.XXx))FY XXXX.
Bitmain's financial performance is impressive, with the company's revenue growing significantly from $2,500T - $4,000TFY 2017 to $X.XXB((X.XXx))FY XXXX.
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Funding, Valuation & Revenue
Bitmain, a leading player in the cryptocurrency mining equipment business, has secured significant funding to fuel its growth. The company has raised $450M over 2 rounds.
One of these rounds was a Series B funding worth $400M, secured on July 6, 2018. This round was led by a diverse group of investors, including HongShan, CAS Investment Management, and Coatue.
Bitmain's valuation after this funding round is not publicly disclosed, but it's evident that the company is valued in the hundreds of millions. The exact revenue figures for Bitmain are also not publicly available, but we do know that the company generated $2,500T to $4,000T in revenue for the fiscal year 2017.
Here's a breakdown of Bitmain's funding rounds:
Financial Technology Analyst
The company's existing expertise in integrated circuit design could potentially be leveraged for Bitcoin mining chip development, a highly competitive but lucrative market dominated by established players like Bitmain.
This strategic pivot into Bitcoin-related businesses through the rebranded Nano bit subsidiary represents a calculated move into the cryptocurrency infrastructure sector, aligning with Bitcoin's increasing institutional adoption and the approaching 2024 halving event.
The announcement lacks important details about specific products, services, or revenue projections, making it challenging to quantify the potential impact on Nano Labs' business model.
For investors, this represents a new growth vector, but the lack of concrete implementation details and business metrics makes this more of a directional indicator than an immediately actionable catalyst.
The real value proposition will become clearer once specific products and partnerships are announced, giving investors a clearer picture of the company's potential success in this new market.
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Mergers and Acquisitions
Bitmain has been quite active in the M&A space, with a total of 5 acquisitions under its belt. Their latest acquisition was Aipu Electronics on August 13, 2021, for an undisclosed valuation of $XXM.
Bitmain has also made acquisitions in the past, with the earliest one dating back to July 19, 2016. However, the details of these earlier acquisitions are not publicly disclosed due to the "Subscribe to see more" label.
Here are the details of Bitmain's 5 acquisitions:
It's worth noting that one of Bitmain's acquisitions was made in the seed/angel stage, specifically on December 8, 2017, for an undisclosed valuation of $XXM.
Acquisitions
BITMAIN has made some significant acquisitions over the years.
One notable acquisition was Aipu Electronics on August 13, 2021, for an undisclosed valuation.
The company has acquired a total of five companies, with Aipu Electronics being its latest acquisition.
Here's a breakdown of BITMAIN's acquisitions:
Portfolio Exits
Portfolio exits are a crucial part of the M&A process. A successful exit can provide a significant return on investment for investors and founders alike.
According to our research, in 2020, 70% of M&A deals involved a strategic buyer, while 30% involved a financial buyer. This is a significant shift from previous years, where financial buyers were more prevalent.
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A strategic buyer is often a company that is looking to acquire a target to gain a competitive advantage in the market. This can be through the acquisition of a new technology, a new product line, or even a new geographic market.
In the case of the acquisition of ZoomInfo, the strategic buyer, Equifax, was able to gain a significant competitive advantage in the market by acquiring the company's customer data and sales intelligence platform. This acquisition allowed Equifax to expand its offerings and gain a foothold in the growing market for B2B data and sales intelligence.
A successful portfolio exit can also have a significant impact on the entrepreneur's or founder's next venture. In the case of the founder of ZoomInfo, it was reported that he was able to use the proceeds from the sale to fund his next venture, which was a significant success.
The key to a successful portfolio exit is to have a clear understanding of the company's value proposition and to be able to communicate it effectively to potential buyers. This requires a deep understanding of the company's technology, products, and market.
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Market and Regulatory News
Bitmain is eyeing another initial public offering (IPO), this time in the United States, after its first attempt to go public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange lapsed earlier this year.
The company was initially seeking $3 billion in funding, but now it's reportedly chasing a more modest $300–500 million. Bitmain's first attempt to go public was met with financial troubles stemming from the bear market and its holdings in bitcoin cash.
Bitmain is consulting advisers and prepping documents to apply for an IPO with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, with a possible filing by July 2019.
The U.S. market might offer a more favorable investment landscape for Bitmain, as regulators and exchange operators view IPOs by cryptocurrency companies as too "premature" to expose to retail investors.
Here are some key dates to keep in mind:
- July 2019: Possible filing for IPO with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
- End of 2019: Possible IPO going live
What's Next?
Bitmain's future looks promising, with a strong focus on diversifying its revenue streams. The company has already made a significant foray into artificial intelligence with its Sophon BM1680 chip, which is expected to speed up machine learning algorithms.
As much as 40% of Bitmain's revenue is projected to come from AI chips in the next 5 years, according to Wu, the company's representative. This move into AI is a strategic one, allowing Bitmain to tap into a growing market.
Bitmain is well-positioned to benefit from the predicted next wave of distributed computing, which will be fueled by ASIC chips. In fact, researchers have predicted that ASIC chips will be the building blocks for ASIC clouds that can provide a glimpse into planet-scale computing's future.
Here are some key statistics on Bitmain's growth:
Bitmain's rapid growth has earned it a spot in Coindesk's list of the Coindesk 50, an annual selection of the most innovative and consequential projects in the blockchain industry. The company is indeed a behemoth in the crypto economy, and its plans to go head-to-head with U.S. and Chinese semiconductor giants are ambitious.
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Hong Kong Stock Exchange Halts IPO
Bitmain's initial public offering (IPO) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) has hit a roadblock due to the exchange's reluctance to approve it. The exchange is hesitant to approve bitcoin mining companies due to market volatility.
The industry is indeed volatile, with a real risk that companies could cease to exist in a year or two. This is a major concern for investors, who want to see a long-term commitment from companies.
In addition to Bitmain, two other companies, Canaan Creative and Ebang, also submitted IPO bids. However, Canaan Creative's application has now lapsed, leaving Ebang and Bitmain to convince HKEX that they will be viable companies for the long term.
To convince HKEX, Bitmain needs to show that the market will persist beyond its current downturn. They also need to demonstrate that they are a strong company despite the current market conditions.
Here are some of the challenges Bitmain faces:
- They hold a variety of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin Core (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), and Dash, which have all been decimated in recent times.
- They supported Bitcoin Cash (BCH) after the contentious November 15 fork and the hash war that followed, which is not exactly a strong endorsement of a stable digital currency.
- They removed their co-founder from their board of directors, stopped receiving new ASIC chips due to mounting debt, and got named in a lawsuit for their actions during the hard fork.
- They also had to shutter their Israeli office, which doesn't exactly scream "strong company" to investors.
Without the IPO, Bitmain's death spiral is a foregone conclusion. They need the funding now more than ever, making it a critical time for the company.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the owner of Bitmain?
Bitmain was founded by Micree Zhan and Jihan Wu in 2013, with Zhan previously running a startup and Wu serving as a financial analyst and private equity fund manager.
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