Nvidia, the leading chipmaker globally, has allocated $683 million to Nscale, an AI infrastructure firm based in London that recently evolved from crypto miner Arkon Energy.
This investment emphasizes how the legacy of crypto infrastructure subtly supports the next phase of AI development. Mining-driven data centers are transforming into large-scale computing hubs.
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Nvidia and Crypto Mining Roots Propel AI Initiatives
Nvidia’s collaboration with Nscale aims to deliver around 60,000 GPUs to UK data centers by 2026. This move highlights Nvidia’s significant investment and aligns with broader AI policy objectives in the UK.
Interestingly, this announcement arrives as political momentum gathers under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s 50-point AI action framework. It also reflects the convergence of crypto-origin infrastructure and established tech giants.
Microsoft and OpenAI have already committed billions towards AI campuses in Britain, while Nvidia is strategically placing itself at the junction of blockchain origins and next-generation computing.
Nscale emerged from the resource-intensive sector of digital asset mining. Arkon Energy established the company to support infrastructure for crypto mining. In 2024, it shifted focus to AI, responding to a surge in demand for computing power that outpaced blockchain returns.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang acknowledged Nscale’s importance in UK infrastructure, suggesting the company could emerge as a “national champion for AI infrastructure in the UK.”
Crypto Mining Origins Empower AI Goals
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Once criticized, crypto data centers are now being repurposed for mainstream AI infrastructure.
CoreWeave, originally an Ethereum mining operation founded in 2017, now supplies AI infrastructure to major players like Microsoft, Google, Nvidia, and OpenAI. After pivoting to AI workloads, it went public in 2025 with an estimated market cap of $58 billion.
Similarly, Hut 8, a Canadian Bitcoin miner, has ventured into high-performance computing services, forming partnerships with enterprise clients in need of GPU resources.
On August 14, 2025, Google invested in TeraWulf, committing $1.8 billion to AI-hosting agreements and securing warrants equivalent to about 8% equity. This funding supported TeraWulf’s Lake Mariner campus in New York, which pledged over 200 megawatts of capacity through two ten-year contracts with Fluidstack, valued at approximately $3.7 billion in revenue. Optional extensions could raise the total to $8.7 billion.
Sovereign AI Meets Blockchain Legacy
Europe’s advocacy for “sovereign AI” resonates with ongoing crypto discussions regarding decentralization and self-custody. Just as miners sought autonomy from centralized finance, governments now aspire to freedom from foreign hyperscalers.
Prime Minister Starmer positioned these announcements as pivotal: “The UK can spearhead in AI just as it has fostered fintech and digital assets.”
Nscale’s ambition to deploy 300,000 Nvidia GPUs by 2030 illustrates how blockchain infrastructure is now driving the future of AI.
