MARA Holdings announced Thursday it is acquiring a 1,200+ acre powered site in Matagorda County, Texas from synthetic-fuels developer HIF USA. The site grants access to up to 1 gigawatt of grid capacity by October 2027 and up to 2 gigawatts by April 2028. The Miami-based Bitcoin-mining company plans to develop the property into a computing campus for AI data centers and Bitcoin mining operations, in partnership with Starwood Digital Ventures, while HIF retains a minority stake and continues its fuel projects elsewhere in Texas and abroad. MARA shares spiked more than 15% on Thursday following the announcement, trading at $13.87 per Yahoo Finance, and are now up more than 54% in 2026 as the company capitalizes on surging demand for AI compute infrastructure and pivots from pure cryptocurrency mining to power-grid asset ownership.
MARA Acquires Texas Site with 2 GW Grid Capacity by April 2028
The acquired property spans more than 1,200 acres in Matagorda County, approximately 90 miles southwest of Houston. Under the terms announced Thursday, MARA will gain access to up to 1 gigawatt of electrical grid capacity by October 2027, expanding to as much as 2 gigawatts by the following spring in April 2028. The company intends to transform the site into a computing campus developed alongside Starwood Digital Ventures, housing both AI data centers and energy-intensive Bitcoin mining hardware. HIF USA, which had originally planned to use the location for synthetic fuel production, will retain a minority ownership stake once a computing tenant signs a lease and will continue pursuing its other fuel projects in Texas and internationally.
MARA Stocks Surge 15% on Acquisition Announcement
MARA shares rose more than 15% on Thursday to $13.87, according to Yahoo Finance, following the acquisition announcement. The single-day gain pushed the company's monthly performance above 4%. Year-to-date in 2026, MARA stocks have climbed more than 54%, driven by substantial AI compute demand and investor enthusiasm for infrastructure plays in the digital economy.
Bitcoin Miner Expands Power Portfolio to 4.8 GW
The Texas transaction is part of a broader strategic shift among Bitcoin mining companies toward infrastructure ownership. MARA stated the deal, once fully developed, would bring its total power portfolio to nearly 4.8 gigawatts, including a previously announced acquisition of an Ohio power plant. This scale rivals some regional utilities and reflects the company's focus on securing power assets rather than relying solely on cryptocurrency price appreciation. "This transaction advances our strategy of securing strategically located infrastructure assets capable of supporting high-performance compute and Bitcoin workloads," said MARA Chairman and CEO Fred Thiel in a statement. "As demand for digital infrastructure continues to grow, we believe sites with access to reliable, scalable power will become increasingly valuable. This acquisition meaningfully expands our long-term development pipeline and strengthens our ability to support high-performance compute and maximize the value of that power over time."
Matagorda County to Gain Thousands of Jobs from Development
For Matagorda County, a rural area on the Texas Gulf Coast, the acquisition brings the promise of thousands of construction and permanent jobs, according to company officials. MARA has invested more than $1.2 billion in Texas to date, and the new campus is expected to add to the local economic base as the company builds out its computing infrastructure.
FAQ
What did MARA Holdings acquire in Texas on Thursday?
MARA Holdings announced Thursday it is acquiring a 1,200+ acre powered site in Matagorda County, Texas from HIF USA, with access to up to 1 gigawatt of grid capacity by October 2027 and up to 2 gigawatts by April 2028.
Why did MARA stocks surge following the announcement?
MARA stocks rose more than 15% on Thursday to $13.87 after the company announced the Texas land acquisition, reflecting investor confidence in its strategy to secure power infrastructure for AI and Bitcoin mining workloads. Year-to-date in 2026, MARA stocks are up more than 54%.
How large is MARA's total power portfolio after this acquisition?
Once the Texas site is fully developed, MARA's total power portfolio will reach nearly 4.8 gigawatts, including a previously announced Ohio power plant acquisition, a scale comparable to some regional utilities.
