Alright — let’s walk through how the market might value MW capacity for IREN vs SLNH, based on their economics and scalability.
Step 1 – Establish Valuation Framework
Investors typically value data center operators (including Bitcoin miners pivoting to AI/HPC) using:
- Enterprise Value (EV) per MW – how much capital markets are willing to pay for each MW of energized capacity.
- Revenue/Margin Multiples – tied to power cost, margin stability, and client mix. Benchmarks:
- Top-tier AI/HPC colocation (e.g., CoreWeave deals) = n5M per MW (very high due to cloud AI demand).
- Bitcoin miners pre-pivot (pure compute, no AI contracts) = n1.2M per MW.
- Transitioning firms (IREN, CLSK, HUT) are being repriced upward as they secure AI deals.
Step 2 – Apply to IREN
- Cost Profile: n300K per MW annually → stable.
- Scalability: High (100s of MW possible).
- Client Fit: Attractive for hyperscalers (they want guaranteed uptime, ESG alignment).
- Valuation Range:
- Current market tends to value IREN at n2.5M per MW today.
- With confirmed AI/HPC contracts → could re-rate toward n4M per MW.
Step 3 – Apply to SLNH
- Cost Profile: n170K per MW annually → much cheaper.
- Scalability: Constrained by finding stranded power projects.
- Client Fit: Niche — very cheap power could appeal to cost-sensitive AI/HPC, but stability is weaker.
- Valuation Range:
- Today: Market sees SLNH more like a distressed miner → n0.7M per MW.
- If SLNH proves it can reliably energize and monetize all 825 MW pipeline → could re-rate to n2M per MW (still a discount to IREN due to scalability and contract risk).
Step 4 – Illustrative Example (825 MW pipeline for SLNH)
- At **n410M implied EV.
- At **n1.24B implied EV.
- Current EV is far below that, hence the asymmetric upside thesis for SLNH.
Step 5 – Side-by-Side Summary
| Metric | IREN | SLNH |
|---|---|---|
| Current Market Value per MW | ~n2.5M | ~n0.7M |
| Upside if AI/HPC fully ramps | n4M+ | n2M |
| Investor Premium | Scalability, ESG, hyperscaler credibility | Low-cost edge, asymmetric upside if pipeline is realized |
👉 Bottom line:
- IREN is already priced as a credible AI/HPC partner, with upside to cloud-level multiples.
- SLNH trades at a heavy discount, but if they energize even half of their pipeline into HPC contracts, the stock could multi-bag on re-rating per MW.