Mara Holdings Partners with Starwood for AI Computing Transformation
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
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Should l Buy MARA?
Source: Fool
- Strategic Partnership: Mara Holdings has partnered with Starwood Capital Group to transform its cryptocurrency mining facilities into high-performance computing centers, which is expected to significantly enhance the company's competitiveness in the AI computing sector.
- Positive Market Reaction: Mara's stock price surged as much as 16.4% during the trading day, ultimately closing up 5.8%, reflecting market optimism regarding the potential of this partnership, with a market cap reaching $3.2 billion.
- Clear Capacity Goals: The two companies aim to achieve 1 gigawatt of computing capacity in the near term, with a long-term target of over 2.5 gigawatts, intending to accelerate the deployment of AI infrastructure beyond traditional construction timelines.
- Financial Context: Despite reporting a net loss of $1.7 billion, or $4.52 per share, in its fourth-quarter report, this partnership is viewed as a diversification strategy in the context of declining Bitcoin prices, potentially paving the way for future growth.
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Analyst Views on MARA
Wall Street analysts forecast MARA stock price to rise
12 Analyst Rating
7 Buy
5 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 8.450
Low
13.00
Averages
22.11
High
30.00
Current: 8.450
Low
13.00
Averages
22.11
High
30.00
About MARA
MARA Holdings, Inc. is engaged in digital asset compute that develops and deploys technologies. The Company secures the blockchain ledger and supports energy transformation by converting clean, stranded, or otherwise underutilized energy into economic value. It also offers advanced technology solutions to optimize data center operations, including liquid immersion cooling and firmware for bitcoin miners. It is primarily focused on computing for, acquiring, and holding digital assets as a long-term investment. Its core business is bitcoin mining, and it produces, or mines, bitcoin using energy-efficient fleets of specialized computers while providing dispatchable compute as an optionality to the electric grid operators to balance electric demands on the grid. It is also engaged in the sale of data center infrastructure, such as immersion-cooled systems, to third parties operating in the bitcoin ecosystem and the artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance compute (HPC) sectors.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Earnings Miss: MARA Holdings reported a Q4 GAAP EPS of -$4.52, missing Street consensus by $3.35, with revenue of $202.3 million down 5.6% year-over-year, falling short of expectations by $49.04 million, indicating ongoing pressure in its bitcoin mining operations.
- Significant Loss: The company posted a net loss of $1.7 billion, a stark contrast to a net income of $528.3 million in the same period last year, with the loss including a $1.5 billion impairment on the fair value of digital assets, reflecting a substantial decline in bitcoin holdings.
- Strategic Transformation: MARA is shifting its business model from a pure-play bitcoin miner to an energy and digital infrastructure company, entering a strategic agreement with Starwood Capital Group to convert select sites into next-generation digital infrastructure to meet enterprise and AI customer demands.
- Future Outlook: CEO Fred Thiel anticipates 2026 as a pivotal year, with infrastructure in place and the Starwood partnership advancing select assets towards hyperscale tenancy, aiming to support over 1 gigawatt of IT capacity initially, with a roadmap extending beyond 2.5 gigawatts over time.
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- Strategic Partnership: Mara Holdings has partnered with Starwood Capital Group to transform its cryptocurrency mining facilities into high-performance computing centers, which is expected to significantly enhance the company's competitiveness in the AI computing sector.
- Positive Market Reaction: Mara's stock price surged as much as 16.4% during the trading day, ultimately closing up 5.8%, reflecting market optimism regarding the potential of this partnership, with a market cap reaching $3.2 billion.
- Clear Capacity Goals: The two companies aim to achieve 1 gigawatt of computing capacity in the near term, with a long-term target of over 2.5 gigawatts, intending to accelerate the deployment of AI infrastructure beyond traditional construction timelines.
- Financial Context: Despite reporting a net loss of $1.7 billion, or $4.52 per share, in its fourth-quarter report, this partnership is viewed as a diversification strategy in the context of declining Bitcoin prices, potentially paving the way for future growth.
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- Strategic Partnership: Mara Holdings has formed a strategic alliance with Starwood Capital Group to convert its cryptocurrency mining facilities into high-performance computing centers aimed at supporting AI workloads, which is expected to accelerate the deployment of AI infrastructure.
- Market Reaction: Following the announcement of the partnership, Mara's stock price rose by 5.8%, peaking at a 16.4% increase during the day, indicating positive investor sentiment despite the company facing a net loss of $1.7 billion.
- Capacity Goals: The two companies are targeting 1 gigawatt of near-term computing capacity, with a long-term goal of exceeding 2.5 gigawatts, leveraging Mara's low-cost energy and Starwood's expertise in facility management to enhance market competitiveness.
- Financial Context: In its fourth-quarter report, Mara revealed a loss of $4.52 per share due to a sharp decline in Bitcoin prices; nevertheless, the partnership is viewed as a strategic move to adapt to market fluctuations and changing demand trends.
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- Strategic Partnership: MARA Holdings has entered into a strategic agreement with Starwood Capital Group and its data center development platform, Starwood Digital Ventures, expecting to deliver approximately 1 gigawatt of near-term IT capacity with a pathway to over 2.5 gigawatts, showcasing the company's dual capabilities in Bitcoin mining and AI computing.
- Analyst Downgrades: H.C. Wainwright downgraded MARA Holdings from ‘Buy’ to ‘Neutral’ and slashed its FY26 sales forecast from $954.8 million to $851.1 million, primarily due to a downward revision in Bitcoin price outlook, reflecting concerns about the company's future growth prospects.
- Positive Market Reaction: Despite several Wall Street analysts downgrading MARA, the company's deal with Starwood buoyed retail trader sentiment, with shares rising 10% at the time of the announcement, indicating optimism about the strategic partnership.
- Investor Sentiment High: On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around MARA trended in the ‘extremely bullish’ territory, with users discussing the Starwood deal's potential to imply around $2 billion in annual revenue, reflecting strong confidence in the company's future developments.
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- Financial Loss: MARA reported a net loss of $1.7 billion in Q4 2024, compared to a net income of $528.3 million a year earlier, primarily due to a $1.5 billion decline in the fair value of Bitcoin holdings, indicating the company's vulnerability amid market volatility.
- Revenue Changes: While full-year revenue grew 38% to $907.1 million, Q4 revenue fell 6% to $202.3 million, driven by a 14% drop in the average price of Bitcoin mined, highlighting challenges in profitability for the company.
- AI Infrastructure Strategy: The joint venture with Starwood aims to invest over 1 gigawatt in IT capacity, with MARA providing data center sites and Starwood managing design and operations, marking a significant shift from solely Bitcoin mining to a diversified business model.
- Stock Technical Analysis: MARA's stock has broken out from a multi-week base, currently trading 21% above the Supertrend, with a 38% rally from $7.00 to $9.66, reflecting strong buying pressure and positive market sentiment towards its strategic transformation.
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