Crypto Reader Update: Marathon Digital Holdings Sees Increased Institutional Ownership
Marathon Digital Holdings (NASDAQ: MARA), the world’s largest publicly traded Bitcoin (BTC) mining company, has experienced a rise in institutional ownership despite an upcoming block subsidy halving in April. Institutional investors now hold 38.9% of Marathon’s outstanding shares, with the top five institutional shareholders owning a significant portion of the company. This growing institutional ownership indicates a positive outlook for Bitcoin’s future price and highlights the increasing influence of Wall Street on the cryptocurrency market.
Institutional Ownership of Marathon Digital Holdings
According to data gathered from Nasdaq, institutional investors own 104,212,740 out of Marathon’s total of 268 million outstanding shares. The top five institutional shareholders are:
- Vanguard: Holds 23.47 million shares, accounting for 8.76% ownership
- BlackRock: Owns 17.19 million shares, representing 6.42% ownership
- Jane Street: Holds 8.47 million shares, accounting for 3.16% ownership
- Morgan Stanley: Owns 6.27 million shares, representing 2.34% ownership
- State Street: Holds 5.42 million shares, accounting for 2.02% ownership
Collectively, these five institutional investors own a total of 60,837,405 shares, equivalent to a 22.7% ownership stake in Marathon Digital Holdings.
Marathon Stock Analysis
Marathon Digital Holdings is currently the leading company in the Bitcoin mining category according to the CompaniesMarketCap index, with a market capitalization of $5.58 billion. This positions Marathon as the 2,468th most valuable company in the world, highlighting its significance in both the technology and Bitcoin sectors.
As of March 22, MARA stock closed at $20.87 per share. Although it experienced a 4.18% intraday loss, the stock has accumulated gains of 146.69% year-over-year.
Bitcoin Halving and Its Impact on Mining Companies and Institutional Investors
The core revenue for Bitcoin mining companies comes from mining BTC and collecting block rewards in fees and block subsidies. Miners compete with each other to find the next valid block through proof-of-work, measured in hashrate. However, Bitcoin’s block subsidy halves approximately every four years or every 210,000 blocks, which directly affects mining revenue.
With the upcoming halving, Bitcoin mining companies will see their revenue cut by nearly half if BTC’s price remains unchanged. This reduction in revenue can impact stocks like MARA, as they are often correlated with Bitcoin’s price. The halving poses challenges for the sector as a whole.
Hot Take: Institutional Ownership Signals Positive Outlook for BTC
The increased institutional ownership of Marathon Digital Holdings indicates a positive bias towards Bitcoin’s future price among finance giants such as Vanguard and BlackRock. These institutional investors now own over one-third of Marathon’s shares, demonstrating their confidence in the cryptocurrency market. Moreover, this growing institutional ownership highlights Wall Street’s influence on Bitcoin’s security and consensus mechanism.
However, it is important to note that the expected revenue drop resulting from the halving presents challenges for Bitcoin mining companies like Marathon Digital Holdings. This development emphasizes the need for innovative solutions within the sector to maintain profitability despite reduced block subsidies.