Share this article

Bitcoin Miner Marathon Digital Signs Deal With Kenya to Invest in Green Energy Projects

The company will help monetize stranded energy in the African country and help manage its renewable energy production.

Updated May 29, 2024, 4:43 p.m. Published May 24, 2024, 6:00 p.m.
(CoinDesk)
(CoinDesk)

Bitcoin mining company Marathon Digital (MARA) struck a deal Friday with the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum of Kenya to develop the African country's energy infrastructure with over $80 million in investments.

The aim of the partnership is "monetizing underutilized energy across Kenya and jointly developing technology projects," Marathon chief executive officer Fred Thiel said.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

In a social media post, the company said that the investment will be in green data centers. Marathon also noted in a press release that the capital will include foreign investments without specifying sources of funds. "With projected foreign investments expected to exceed $80 million, this venture is poised to deliver economic benefits to the Kenyan economy and generate revenue for the local energy sector ecosystem," according to the statement.

The partnership comes as Marathon held talks earlier this month with the nation to help manage its renewable energy operation and advise on its digital asset regulatory regime.

Read more: Bitcoin Miner Marathon In Talks With Kenya to Help With Its Green Energy Ambitions

Renewable energy is Kenya's main power source, responsible for 80% of all electricity generation in 2022, with plans to increase its share to 100% by the end of the decade. However, renewable energy sources like solar and wind are intermittent, meaning that they don't produce energy when most of the consumption happens. Infrastructure building for renewable energy is capital-intensive and requires a power management system to store and distribute energy properly.

Under the agreement, Marathon and Kenyan policymakers will cooperate to "better understand how to optimize renewable energy projects that produce surplus energy due to intermittency and seasonal variations," the press release said.

Marathon shares traded 6% higher at around $21 on Friday from yesterday's close, outperforming BTC's 1% advance over the past 24 hours.

More For You

Protocol Research: GoPlus Security

GP Basic Image

What to know:

  • As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
  • GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
  • Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.

More For You

TradFi giant EquiLend backs Digital Prime to link $40 trillion pool with tokenized markets

Computer monitors and a laptop screen show trading charts on a desk overlooking an expanse of water at sunset. (sergeitokmakov/Pixabay, modified by CoinDesk)

The partnership will focus on Tokenet, Digital Prime's institutional lending network, and introduce new features like regulated stablecoin collateral.

What to know:

  • EquiLend made a minority investment in Digital Prime Technologies, a regulated crypto financing provider, to expand into tokenized assets and digital markets.
  • The relationship will focus on Tokenet, Digital Prime's institutional lending network, and introduce new features like regulated stablecoin collateral.
  • The investment aims to provide continuity across asset classes, meeting institutions' growing demand for governance and transparency in digital markets.