HIVE Digital Technologies bets big on Paraguay’s hydropower for Bitcoin mining future
HIVE Digital Technologies is doubling down on Paraguay as the centerpiece of its Bitcoin mining expansion, with the company’s newly appointed country site president outlining a vision built on clean energy, disciplined growth, and operational leadership in one of South America’s most energy-rich nations.
Gabriel Lamas, who took over as HIVE’s Country Site President in March 2025, has been vocal about what he sees as the recipe for sustainable Bitcoin mining: cheap hydroelectric power, careful scaling, and strong on-the-ground management.
Paraguay’s power advantage
The country sits downstream from the Itaipú Dam, one of the largest hydroelectric power plants on the planet. HIVE operates two major facilities in the country: a 200 MW site at Yguazú, acquired in early 2025, and a 100 MW facility at Valenzuela, completed the same year. Combined, that’s 300 MW of hydroelectric-powered mining capacity.
Paraguay generates far more hydroelectric power than its domestic economy can absorb. That surplus energy, sometimes called “stranded” power, sits there doing nothing unless someone finds a use for it. Bitcoin mining fits that gap almost perfectly.
Lamas brings over 20 years of experience in the industry to the role, including prior work with Bitfarms, another publicly traded mining company. According to HIVE, his leadership has exceeded operational expectations during the phased scaling of the Paraguayan sites.
The hashrate targets
HIVE is targeting a global hashrate of 25 EH/s (exahashes per second) in 2025 and 35 EH/s in 2026. The jump from 25 to 35 EH/s in a single year would represent a 40% increase. That’s aggressive, particularly in a post-halving environment where Bitcoin mining rewards were cut in half in April 2024. After a halving, miners earn fewer Bitcoin per block, which means only the most efficient operators survive and thrive.
Beyond Bitcoin: the AI infrastructure play
HIVE has been developing its BUZZ platform, which is designed to support AI and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads alongside traditional mining operations. The idea is that the same infrastructure, power supply, and cooling systems that serve Bitcoin miners can also serve the rapidly growing demand for AI compute.
The company trades on both Nasdaq and the TSX under the ticker HIVE, giving it access to both US and Canadian capital markets.
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
You may also like
Credit panic hits AI trading: CoreWeave bond yields remain high, Nasdaq posts biggest weekly drop since late June
Concerns over the debt risk of AI infrastructure companies continue to rise. Yields on some CoreWeave bonds briefly exceeded 15% on Thursday and remained elevated on Friday. CoreWeave's stock price plunged another 12% on Friday, and the Nasdaq Composite Index fell about 4.5% for the week. Analysts point out that as capital costs rise to unbearable levels, companies will have no choice but to reduce their capital expenditures.
Philadelphia Semiconductor Index Experiences Longest Losing Streak Since 2008; Jensen Huang Responds Calmly: Short-term Fluctuations Won't Change AI's Long-term Growth Prospects
Despite recent sell-offs in AI-related stocks, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang remains confident in the long-term prospects of the AI industry.
U.S. chip stocks drop for eight consecutive sessions! $2 trillion wiped out in market value, marking the longest losing streak since 2008
This week, the investment prospects of AI were questioned by the market. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell by 11.4%, and the Nasdaq dropped more than 4% in a single week. CoreWeave's stock price fell over 25% during the week, and its bonds dropped to distressed levels, casting doubt on the high-yield debt financing model. Strategists warned that being overly bearish could lead to missing opportunities, while "Wood Sister" bucked the trend and increased her holdings of CoreWeave.
In August, overseas funds returned to the U.S. Treasury market; UK holdings surpassed $1 trillion for the first time; Japan and China continued to reduce holdings, with China’s U.S. Treasury holdings hitting the lowest level since 2008
According to a report by the U.S. Treasury Department, overseas investors made net purchases of $108.9 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds in August, reversing a two-month decline in holdings. Among the top ten countries and regions holding U.S. debt, only China and Japan reduced their holdings in August. Japan, the largest holder, saw its holdings drop for the fourth consecutive month, reaching a 22-month low in the same month it intervened in the foreign exchange market. China’s holdings declined for the third straight month, hitting new lows for two consecutive months not seen since 2008. The UK, the second-largest holder, posted historic highs for two consecutive months. Canada recorded the largest increase in August, up $38.3 billion, ranking fifth overall. Belgium had the second-largest increase, up $19.8 billion.
Crypto prices
More
