MARA Stock Jumps After 1,200-Acre Texas Acquisition Set To Double Power Capacity

The project is expected to increase MARA's total power capacity to about 4.8 GW upon full energization, including the pending Long Ridge acquisition.

• The deal marks another step in MARA's strategy of expanding beyond Bitcoin mining into AI and high-performance computing infrastructure.
• The Texas site is expected to provide up to 2 GW of grid capacity by April 2028 and will be developed alongside Starwood Digital Ventures.
• Retail traders on Stocktwits largely welcomed the acquisition but said execution and project timelines will remain key.

MARA Holdings (MARA) shares jumped at market open on Thursday after the company announced a deal to acquire a large-scale powered land site in Matagorda County, Texas, from HIF USA, the latest move in its shift from pure Bitcoin (BTC) mining toward AI and high-performance computing infrastructure.

MARA’s stock climbed over 7% in morning trade amid a broader recovery in crypto-linked stocks. Retail sentiment around the shares on Stocktwits remained in ‘neutral’ territory over the past day, while chatter dipped to ‘normal’ from ‘high’ levels. 

Upon full energization, the site is expected to more than double MARA's total power capacity to approximately 4.8 gigawatt (GW), including the anticipated close of its previously announced Long Ridge Energy & Power acquisition. 

"This transaction advances our strategy of securing strategically located infrastructure assets capable of supporting high-performance compute and bitcoin workloads." 

– Fred Thiel, Chairman and CEO, Mara Holdings

Texas Site Expands MARA's AI/HPC Capacity

Mara Holdings new land site in Texas spans more than 1,200 acres and is expected to provide up to 1 GW of grid capacity by October 2027, scaling to 2 GW by April 2028. 

MARA plans to develop the site through its existing partnership with Starwood Digital Ventures. HIF USA will retain a minority ownership stake once a lease with an HPC tenant is signed.

The deal is the latest step in a strategic shift MARA first announced in August 2025, moving from a pure-play Bitcoin miner toward an energy and digital infrastructure company. 

The pivot has included a 64% stake acquisition in Exaion, a high-performance computing firm, the February 2026 launch of the Starwood Digital Ventures partnership, and an April $1.5 billion agreement to acquire Long Ridge Energy & Power, a 505 MW gas power plant in Hannibal, Ohio.. MARA also sold 15,133 BTC for about $1.1 billion in March, a move Thiel described as deliberately reallocating capital to fund the AI/HPC buildout.

Retail Traders Focus On Execution Amid Analyst Skepticism

Most traders on Stocktwits were optimistic about MARA’s new deal, which would increase its footprint in the energy sector.

One retail trader said MARA’s new deal is a “big capacity story” but execution and timing would be the real focus for its growth outlook.

The news comes a day after Morgan Stanley firm cut its price target on Mara Holdings to $5.50 from $7 and maintained an ‘Underweight’ stance. The stock would need to fall about 56% from its $12.67 open on Thursday, sitting well below the average price target of $18.40, as per Koyfin data.

MARA’s stock has gained nearly 40% this year, but remains down by nearly 30% over the past 12 months.

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