CoinDesk Podcast Network

The Blockspace Pod: Block’s Layoffs, Magic Eden Drops BTC + ETH, MARA Gets Serious on AI, Jane Street’s Lawsuit

Feb 28, 2026
Michael San Miguel, Luxor principal for GPU and AI/HPC infrastructure, explains GPU market dynamics and compute monetization. They discuss Block’s mass layoffs and AI rationale. Magic Eden’s exit from BTC and ETH marketplaces gets covered. MARA’s AI partnerships and the Jane Street legal drama are also highlighted.
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INSIGHT

Hashprice Plummets Amid Difficulty And Weather

  • Bitcoin hashprice hit an all-time low (~$28/PH/day) after a 14.73% difficulty increase and winter storm curtailments.
  • Hashrate briefly fell to ~853 EH after Winter Storm Fern and recovered only partially, stressing miner economics.
INSIGHT

Geopolitical Shift In Global Hashrate

  • Luxor's global heat map shows the US leads with ~1/3 of global hashrate while Russia rose to ~16% (~175 EH) in Q1 2026.
  • Colin warns AI pivots in the US could redirect mining capacity to Russia, with geopolitical implications.
INSIGHT

Block's AI-Driven 40% Headcount Cut

  • Block cut 40% of its 10,000 staff citing AI efficiency, signaling tech firms can preemptively shrink headcount as tools replace roles.
  • Jack Dorsey framed it as "one person doing two or three jobs" and Block offered generous severance and six months health coverage.
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