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Cipher Mining Inc. (CIFR)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q3 was “truly transformative,” with the pivot to HPC solidified by a 15‑year, ~$5.5B AWS campus lease for 300 MW (rent starts Aug 2026) and a 10‑year Barber Lake lease with Fluidstack backstopped by Google’s $1.4B commitment .
- Revenue surged to $71.7M (+65% QoQ) and GAAP net loss narrowed to $3.3M; non‑GAAP adjusted earnings rose to $40.7M ($0.10/diluted share), driven by higher BTC price and Black Pearl’s first full quarter of production .
- Self‑mining hashrate ended the quarter at ~23.6 EH/s, slightly above prior guidance (~23.5 EH/s), with fleet efficiency improving to ~16.8 J/TH; all‑in electricity cost per BTC rose to $34,189 amid higher network hashrate and front‑of‑meter power at Black Pearl .
- Balance sheet strengthened materially: cash and equivalents reached $1.207B driven by the upsized $1.3B 0% 2031 converts (effective conversion price lifted to ~$23.32 via capped calls) and subsequent pricing of $1.4B 7.125% senior secured notes to fund Barber Lake construction .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Landmark hyperscaler win: “We’ve executed a second landmark HPC transaction, this time with Amazon Web Services… 300 megawatts… approximately $5.5 billion in contract revenue” .
- Strategic pipeline expansion: Secured majority ownership in 1 GW “Colchis” site with a fully executed Direct Connect Agreement with AEP, targeted energization in 2028 .
- Operational execution: “We exceeded our previous hash rate projections and achieved a total self‑mining hash rate of approximately 23.6 exahash per second… fleet efficiency ~16.8 J/TH” .
What Went Wrong
- Power and cost headwinds: All‑in electricity cost per BTC increased to $34,189 QoQ due to network hashrate and front‑of‑meter Black Pearl power, pressuring unit economics .
- High depreciation burden: D&A hit ~$59.5M in Q3, reflecting Black Pearl assets placed into service and prior Odessa upgrades, compressing GAAP results despite revenue growth .
- Non‑GAAP/GAAP reconciliation noise: Changes in fair value (warrant liability +$31.9M gain; power PPA −$9.0M) added volatility to reported GAAP earnings and operating line items .
Financial Results
Segment breakdown: Company reports one operating segment (Bitcoin Mining) .
KPIs
Note: Q3 BTC mined differs between wholly‑owned (629) versus “self‑mined” including JV (~689); management quantified site‑level totals in the call vs. presentation .
Guidance Changes
No formal financial guidance (revenue, margins, tax) was issued; operational timelines and capacity plans were updated .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Partnering directly with one of the largest… underscores Cypher’s emergence as a trusted leader… confirms our full‑scale transformation into an HPC data center developer.” — Tyler Page, CEO .
- “Under the agreement, we contracted 300 MW… approximately $5.5 billion in contract revenue… phases beginning in July 2026… rent commencing in August 2026.” — Tyler Page .
- “Construction is already underway… on track to deliver the full 168 megawatts of critical IT capacity by September 30, 2026.” — Tyler Page on Barber Lake (Fluidstack/Google) .
- “This was the largest digital infrastructure convertible issuance to date… increased the effective conversion price to approximately $23.32 per share.” — Greg Mumford, CFO .
Q&A Highlights
- AWS lease execution and design: First 150 MW recut quickly; phase two optimizing speed vs. highest critical IT load; cost per critical MW expected in line with Barber Lake .
- Financing approach: Majority funded with project/construction debt; equity portion supported by upsized converts; multiple structures under evaluation .
- ERCOT/interconnect timing: Colchis construction advancing with AEP ahead of final ERCOT approval; interim FEAs signed for certain sites; confident in timelines .
- Barber Lake optionality: 56 MW remaining may be leased or used for own GPUs; lease rates rising; “spoiled for choice” given demand; risk‑adjusted returns drive decision .
- Colchis capex per MW: Expect costs in line with prior builds (~$9–$11M per critical IT MW) subject to inflation and supply chain .
- Black Pearl conversion timeline: Confidence high given quality of initial 150 MW build; phase two timeline supported by procurement/supply chain planning .
Estimates Context
- Wall Street consensus estimates (S&P Global) were unavailable for CIFR this quarter; therefore, formal beat/miss analysis versus consensus could not be performed. In lieu of EPS/revenue consensus comparisons, performance was evaluated against prior internal targets (e.g., hashrate guidance → ~23.6 EH/s actual vs. ~23.5 EH/s expected) .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Hyperscaler validation and multi‑year revenue visibility: The AWS lease (~$5.5B, rent from Aug 2026) plus Barber Lake (Fluidstack/Google, ~$3.0B min contracted revenue) materially de‑risks HPC strategy and underpins long‑term contracted cash flows .
- Liquidity and funding capacity: $1.207B cash and 0% 2031 converts (effective conversion price ~$23.32) provide runway to deliver contracted HPC sites without additional equity, complemented by $1.4B secured notes for Barber Lake .
- Execution edge: On‑time/on‑budget delivery at five data centers and rapid AWS phase one conversion at Black Pearl should act as a key differentiator amid industry supply chain and interconnect constraints .
- Bitcoin optionality: Odessa’s fixed‑price PPA through July 2027 supports attractive BTC mining economics, giving flexibility while HPC ramps .
- Near‑term watch items: Unit power costs (front‑of‑meter sites), D&A drag from new assets, PPA mark‑to‑market variability, and timely HPC construction milestones (Barber Lake/AWS) .
- Medium‑term catalysts: Colchis (1 GW) tenant signings, further site approvals (Stingray/Reveille/three “M” sites), incremental hyperscaler leases, and clarity on Barber Lake’s 56 MW optionality .
- Stock narrative: Transition from pure BTC miner to diversified digital infrastructure/HPC developer with Tier‑1 counterparties; continued delivery on HPC timelines is likely to drive multiple expansion.
Appendix: Other Relevant Press Releases in Q3 2025
- September Operational Update: Month‑end EH/s 23.6; Fleet efficiency 16.8 J/TH; BTC held ~1,500 .
- Proposed/Priced Barber Lake Notes: $1.4B 7.125% senior secured notes due 2030 to finance Barber Lake construction .