➡️ MARA Holdings Expands Bitcoin Lending Program Amidst Industry Scrutiny

📈 MARA Holdings, a publicly traded bitcoin mining company, has recently updated its operations, revealing a 15% increase in its total hashrate to 53.2 exahash per second (EH/s) and an expansion of its bitcoin reserves to 44,893 BTC. Notably, the company has also loaned out 7,377 BTC to third parties as part of its yield generation strategy.

🟢 The company stated regarding the BTC loans. Robert Samuels, vice president of investor relations at MARA, addressed this on social media, mentioning there has been "significant interest" in their bitcoin lending program.

💬 Samuels explained that the program focuses on short-term arrangements with established third parties and generates a modest single-digit yield. He emphasized that it has been active throughout 2024 with the long-term goal of offsetting operating expenses.

⚠️ However, this move has raised concerns among some observers due to the recent history of bankruptcies in the mining sector. One user expressed apprehension about the loans, asking for more information about the counterparties involved and suggesting that these BTC should be subtracted from MARA's HODL stack.

🔄 The strategic decision by MARA Holdings to lend bitcoin has sparked discussions about risk management in the crypto mining industry. While it presents an innovative way to generate yield, it also highlights the need for careful consideration of potential risks in light of past industry challenges.