Stablecoins are increasingly moving from “cross-border convenience” to everyday financial infrastructure in parts of the developing world. In Bolivia, a new proposal would allow Tether’s USDt (USDT) to be used more broadly in payments and savings—an approach that reflects widening pressure on the local economy and the availability of dollars.
Meanwhile, the Bitcoin mining industry’s pivot toward AI and data-center infrastructure is drawing new scrutiny from investors, especially as insiders sell shares and governance questions rise. And in separate developments, CleanSpark highlighted the potential scale of long-term data-center revenue, while Bitmine reported strong results tied to Ethereum staking.
Key takeaways
- Bolivia is considering a regulatory framework that would recognize USDT as a payment currency amid a prolonged shortage of U.S. dollars.
- Bolivia is still on the Financial Action Task Force’s gray list, meaning any stablecoin rollout would need anti-money laundering controls.
- Investor focus is shifting for AI-focused Bitcoin miners, with recent disclosures of insider stock sales under Rule 10b5-1 plans.
- CleanSpark’s 20-year Georgia data-center lease could generate up to $6.6 billion in contracted revenue, with potential extensions taking the value higher.
- Bitmine reported $45.7 million in revenue from Ethereum staking and validation in the most recent quarter, with most income coming from staking.
Bolivia looks to formalize USDT payments as dollar scarcity deepens
Bolivia is weighing a regulatory path that would recognize Tether’s USDT as a payment currency, according to earlier reporting from Cointelegraph. The proposal, discussed by Economy and Public Finance Minister Jose Gabriel Espinoza, would allow USDT to circulate alongside the boliviano and the U.S. dollar for payments and savings.
Espinoza said the framework remains under review and would include anti-money laundering safeguards. The country still sits on the Financial Action Task Force’s gray list, which raises the compliance bar for any integration of stablecoins into regulated financial activity.
The policy debate comes after major currency stress earlier this year. Bolivia faced a sustained shortage of U.S. dollars following pressure on foreign exchange reserves, leading the government to abandon its long-standing currency peg. With a wider gap between the official and parallel exchange rates, demand for dollar-denominated alternatives has increased—boosting the role of stablecoins such as USDT for everyday transactions.
Bolivia’s latest move also follows two contextual shifts referenced by Cointelegraph: the lifting of the country’s crypto ban in 2024 and the new administration’s stated intent to expand access to digital asset services.
For investors and users, the practical question is not whether stablecoins are “faster,” but whether they can reliably substitute for dollars under local restrictions. A regulated USDT channel would potentially reduce friction for payments and savings while making compliance expectations clearer for financial providers that interact with the token.
AI pivots at Bitcoin miners face a new governance test
As some Bitcoin miners reorient toward AI infrastructure and high-performance computing, a separate theme is emerging: investors are increasingly paying attention to what insiders are doing while those strategies are being rolled out.
According to Blocksbridge Consulting, executives at TeraWulf, Cipher Digital, Riot Platforms, and Core Scientific have disclosed stock sales in recent months. Many of those sales were conducted under prearranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plans. Blocksbridge also pointed out that strategic investors have trimmed their holdings—including Tether, which reduced its stake in Bitdeer after Bitdeer’s AI-driven rally.
The backdrop is a softening of AI infrastructure optimism. Blocksbridge cited the TEM AI Infrastructure Growth Index, stating it fell 16% over the past month. The firm said the market is beginning to look beyond the AI growth narrative and toward whether the miners’ pivots translate into sustainable value for public shareholders.
This is a critical distinction for the sector. Miners may be building long-dated infrastructure bets, but if governance signals—such as insider selling—suggest executives are less confident in near-to-medium term returns, shareholders may demand stronger evidence before capital follows the thesis.
CleanSpark’s long-term data-center lease underscores miners’ infrastructure bet
CleanSpark drew strong market attention after announcing a 20-year data center lease in Georgia. Cointelegraph reported the shares rallied by as much as 22% on the news, reflecting how the market is evaluating the potential scale of contracted revenue as miners deepen their participation in AI-related computing.
The agreement covers a 175-megawatt data center at CleanSpark’s Sandersville, Georgia, campus and is tied to an undisclosed investment-grade global technology company. The tenant will install its computing equipment on-site, with phased deliveries expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027.
Under the announced terms, Cointelegraph reported that the contract could generate up to $6.6 billion in contracted revenue. If the customer exercises two five-year extension options, the contract’s total value could reach $11.6 billion.
The lease also fits a broader industry pattern highlighted in the coverage: miners have been searching for additional revenue streams as post-halving mining economics remain under pressure. While many publicly traded miners have reduced their Bitcoin holdings to strengthen liquidity, CleanSpark has largely remained a net accumulator, although it sold some BTC earlier in the year to fund operations.
For readers tracking this trend, the key variable to watch is how quickly these long-lead infrastructure commitments convert into realized cash flows, particularly once the phased deliveries begin. Contract size can be eye-catching; timing, utilization, and the cost of capital will ultimately determine whether these deals improve balance sheets or merely shift risk further out.
Bitmine posts $45.7 million in Ethereum staking revenue, powered by validator operations
In a different corner of the market, Bitmine Immersion Technologies reported revenue generated from Ethereum staking and validation. Cointelegraph reported that Bitmine earned $45.7 million in revenue in the most recent quarter, despite ongoing pressure on ETH prices.
According to the company’s results, Ethereum staking accounted for 98% of its revenue for the three months ended May 31. Other income streams included about $624,000 from self-mining Bitcoin and approximately $168,000 from consulting services.
Bitmine’s staking activity comes after the March launch of MAVAN, its institutional Ethereum staking platform. Cointelegraph noted that MAVAN was built on the acquisition of validator operator Pier Two Holdings. The company said it has staked roughly 85% of its Ether holdings—about 4.9 million ETH.
Chairman Tom Lee said Bitmine now stakes more Ether than any other entity and projected annualized staking rewards of $284 million once its holdings are fully staked through MAVAN and its partners.
For businesses and investors, the relevance is straightforward: staking revenue remains highly sensitive to staking participation, operational execution, and ETH market conditions. Bitmine’s figures suggest meaningful operating momentum, but readers should still focus on how staking yields evolve and whether partners and fully deployed staking capacity sustain growth into future reporting periods.
Looking ahead, stablecoin policy decisions in Bolivia and similar jurisdictions may determine how quickly dollar-like utility spreads beyond payments, while the Bitcoin mining-to-AI transition will likely be judged not just on infrastructure announcements, but on governance behavior and whether contracted deals begin translating into shareholder value. On the staking side, follow-on disclosures around full deployment through platforms like MAVAN will show whether recent revenue strength can hold.
