TLDR
- Space startup Starcloud aims to deploy Bitcoin mining ASICs aboard its second orbital vehicle in 2026
- According to CEO Philip Johnston, Bitcoin ASICs are approximately $1,000 per kilowatt compared to $30,000 for GPUs, offering significant cost advantages
- The company has submitted an FCC application to manage a network of 88,000 satellites for space-based data centers utilizing solar power
- Johnston predicts all Bitcoin mining operations will eventually relocate to space because of terrestrial energy constraints
- Mining difficulty for Bitcoin has decreased 7% since reaching its peak in November, providing miners with modest relief
A United States-based startup called Starcloud has announced plans to deploy Bitcoin mining equipment in space before the end of this year, potentially making history as the pioneer in extraterrestrial cryptocurrency mining.
Company CEO Philip Johnston revealed the ambitious plan during a video discussion with HyperChange on Thursday, later reaffirming the announcement via X this past weekend.
According to Johnston, Starcloud intends to install Bitcoin mining ASICs β specialized application-specific integrated circuits β aboard its second orbital spacecraft, with the launch window set for the latter part of 2026.
Established in early 2024, Starcloud’s primary objective centers on constructing data processing facilities in orbit to accommodate growing energy requirements driven by artificial intelligence technologies.
The firm successfully launched a satellite equipped with an Nvidia H100 GPU in November 2025, marking the first instance of such powerful graphics processing hardware functioning in orbital conditions. Johnston subsequently disclosed that one of the five GPUs aboard that satellite had failed to respond prior to liftoff.
Starcloud has additionally submitted documentation to the FCC requesting authorization to operate an extensive constellation consisting of 88,000 satellites. These orbital data facilities rely predominantly on solar energy for power.
Why ASICs Make More Sense in Space Than GPUs
Johnston explains that Bitcoin mining equipment presents a more economically viable option for space-based operations compared to AI graphics processors, primarily due to price considerations.
“A 1-kilowatt B200 chip, it might cost $30,000. A 1-kilowatt ASIC is like $1,000,” he said. That makes ASICs roughly 30 times cheaper per kilowatt than GPUs.
He contends that Bitcoin’s present power consumption β approximately 20 gigawatts on a continuous basis β renders maintaining all mining activities on Earth unsustainable over the long haul.
Nevertheless, Johnston conceded that the financial viability of space-based Bitcoin mining remains unproven. Mining returns can plummet rapidly as more advanced, efficient equipment enters the marketplace.
Another enterprise, Intercosmic Energy, has similarly been developing Bitcoin mining capabilities for space, indicating Starcloud faces competition in this emerging sector.
Bitcoin Mining Context
Bitcoin’s market value has plummeted nearly 48% from its peak of $126,080 achieved on October 6, 2025, creating pressure on mining profitability.
Nonetheless, mining difficulty has declined 7% from its November record of 155.9 trillion units to approximately 145 trillion, offering miners modest relief.
In related developments, entrepreneurs Jose and Carlos Puente have introduced a concept for transmitting Bitcoin transactions to Mars utilizing optical communication links and a novel interplanetary timestamping framework. They maintain that conducting actual Bitcoin mining on Mars would prove impractical due to communication delays between Earth and the Red Planet.
Starcloud’s second spacecraft mission, which will transport the Bitcoin mining ASICs into orbit, remains scheduled for launch in the later months of 2026.
