Starcloud plans to mine Bitcoin in space with upcoming satellite launch

A Washington-based startup is preparing to do something that sounds like it belongs in a sci-fi pitch deck: mine Bitcoin from orbit. Starcloud, Inc. announced plans to include bitcoin mining ASICs aboard its upcoming Starcloud-2 spacecraft, which would make it one of the first companies to attempt cryptocurrency mining in space. In space, solar panels get nearly uninterrupted sunlight, meaning energy, the single biggest cost in Bitcoin mining, comes essentially free after the hardware is deployed. From GPU in orbit to mining rigs in the sky Starcloud was founded in January 2024 with a broader mission: building orbital data centers for AI workloads. The company launched its first test satellite, Starcloud-1, on November 2, 2025. That satellite carried a single Nvidia H100 GPU, reportedly making it the first data-center-class GPU to operate in orbit. The Bitcoin mining component enters the picture with Starcloud-2, which CEO Philip Johnston described as a natural extension of the platform. The spacecraft will carry ASICs alongside Nvidia Blackwell chips and AWS server blades, creating a multi-purpose computing node floating above the atmosphere. Originally slated for late 2026, Starc...