Riot sells 10,599 BTC as AI infrastructure deal expands

Riot Platforms sold 10,599 Bitcoin during the third quarter of 2026, reducing its crypto reserves by nearly 79% between June 30 and September 30. The Cryptonomist and U.Today both identify the 10,599 BTC sale and the approximate size of the reserve reduction, with U.Today describing the disposal as a liquidation. The move was tied to financing the expansion of the company’s data-center business rather than continued accumulation of Bitcoin. The transaction accompanied Riot’s announcement of a 15-year AI infrastructure lease for its entire Corsicana campus in Texas. The Cryptonomist, Blockonomi and U.Today all put the agreement at approximately $28 billion, while The Cryptonomist reports that it covers 910 megawatts of critical IT capacity and names the counterparty only as a leading Frontier AI Lab. The agreement gives the long-term conversion of Riot’s energy and infrastructure assets a substantially different revenue profile from conventional Bitcoin mining. Blockonomi places the Corsicana agreement within a larger contracted portfolio of 1,151 megawatts and $38 billion in future revenue. It also reports $181.4 million in third-quarter revenue, saying engineering growth offset mining declines. The Cryptonomist likewise notes that quarterly mining revenue fell, although its supplied summary does not provide the amount. These additional figures appear only in Blockonomi’s coverage and do not conflict with the core figures reported by the other outlets. Riot’s move comes as Bitcoin network conditions remain observable on chain: mempool.space reports network hashrate of 1,020 EH/s and difficulty of 148.4 trillion. The company’s sharp reduction in BTC holdings means its balance-sheet exposure to the asset changed substantially during the same quarter in which it committed a major site to a long-term AI lease. Riot’s pivot is therefore centered on infrastructure monetization rather than retaining mined Bitcoin. Live market context shows Bitcoin at $80,552, up 3.79% over 24 hours but down 0.22% over seven days, with a market capitalization of $1.62 trillion. The broader crypto market is broadly higher and stands at a total capitalization of $2.76 trillion, while the Fear & Greed index remains at 34, indicating a “Fear” reading. Riot’s next relevant disclosures are the execution of the 15-year lease, further changes in its Bitcoin holdings and how the new contracted revenue develops against its mining operations.