MARA Holdings to Raise An Additional $805M for Bitcoin Purchases and Debt Repayment
2024-12-02

MARA Holdings, Inc., a prominent player in the digital asset and blockchain computing sector, has its intention to raise $805 million by issuing convertible senior notes due in 2031. The move is part of the company’s strategy to expand its Bitcoin holdings and manage its existing debt obligations. 
The company targets qualified institutional buyers with an offering that includes $700 million in convertible senior notes and an additional $105 million available at the discretion of initial purchasers.
Today, we announced a proposed private offering of 0% convertible notes of $700 million + $105 million option. Proceeds to be used primarily to acquire bitcoin and repurchase existing 2026 convertible notes up to $50 million.— MARA (@MARAHoldings) Another $805 Bitcoin Purchases: Is MARA Holdings The New MicroStrategy?
MARA plans to direct the proceeds from its recent offering toward several key areas. 
The company will allocate up to $199 million to repurchase a portion of its existing convertible notes due in 2026, while it will use the remaining funds to enhance its Bitcoin reserves and support general corporate purposes.
This may include working capital, strategic acquisitions, expanding operational assets, and repaying additional debt. 
The company emphasized that the notes will be unsecured and will not bear interest under normal circumstances. 
They will mature in June 2031, and depending on MARA’s election, they will offer conversion options into cash, shares of MARA’s common stock, or a combination of both.
This funding initiative comes at a pivotal moment in the cryptocurrency market, coinciding with a favorable shift in the U.S. regulatory and political landscape. 
The election of Donald Trump, a pro-crypto president, and a Republican-controlled Congress have significantly boosted optimism within the digital asset sector. 
Industry observers, including Coinbase’s Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad, have recently noted that the new administration could expedite cryptocurrency regulation, particularly around market structure and stablecoin frameworks. 
The Trump administration’s supportive stance has also reinvigorated confidence in companies like MARA, which are deeply entrenched in Bitcoin and blockchain technology. 
Jim Cramer, host of Mad Money, has also Bitcoin’s potential to thrive under the new administration and in oil services. 
He has pointed out that Trump’s policies could lead to strategic Bitcoin hoarding, effectively cementing the cryptocurrency as a core asset class. 
Cramer noted that smaller oil service stocks have surged, driven by Trump’s agenda to boost U.S. oil production by an additional 3 million barrels daily. 
Cramer also linked Bitcoin’s recent rally to optimism about a Trump administration that is expected to be far more supportive of crypto than the Biden administration’s regulatory approach. 
He suggested that a pro-crypto Trump administration could spur strategic Bitcoin reserves and increase asset hoarding, benefiting Bitcoin holders and ETFs tracking its performance. Institutional Appetite Amid Upcoming Rally
MARA’s decision to issue convertible notes indicates the growing institutional appetite for cryptocurrency exposure. 
The company is aligning itself with market trends where institutional investors increasingly seek safer entry points into the crypto market. 
With companies like MARA continually increasing their Bitcoin holdings and institutional investors pouring capital into digital assets, the lines between traditional finance and the crypto ecosystem are becoming increasingly blurred. 
This latest MARA strategy could have ripple effects, especially now that the crypto market is performing some corrections.
Recently, MARA has cemented its position as one of the largest corporate Bitcoin holders, adding 703 BTC on November 28 to amass a total of 34,794 BTC, valued at $3.3 billion. 
This positions Marathon as the second-largest corporate Bitcoin holder after MicroStrategy, whose holdings dominate at 1.8% of Bitcoin’s total supply compared to Marathon’s 0.16%. 
The acquisitions followed a successful $1 billion fundraising effort, with $160 million allocated for future Bitcoin purchases.