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Riot Plans Hostile Takeover of Bitfarms; Proposes $2.30 Per Share

Riot privately offered its proposal last month, with Bitfarms rejecting it.

A photo of four mining rigs
Mining rigs in Plattsburgh, NY. (Fran Velasquez/CoinDesk)
  • If the proposal comes to fruition, the combined entity would be the world's largest bitcoin miner, Riot said.
  • Bitfarms' shares were up nearly 6% at $2.13 as of 14:00 UTC following Riot's announcement.

Riot Platforms (RIOT) has sought to acquire fellow bitcoin miner Bitfarms (BITF), having acquired a 9.25% in the company to become its large shareholder.

The Castle Rock, Colorado-based miner proposed to by all the outstanding BITF shares for $2.30 apiece, representing a 24% premium to their one-month volume weighted average price as of May 24, Riot announced on Tuesday.

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If the proposal comes to fruition, the combined entity would be the world's largest bitcoin miner, Riot added.

Riot privately offered its proposal last month. Riot cited Bitfarms' rejection of the bid along with allegations of a lawsuit by recently fired CEO Geoffrey Morphy as "raising serious questions about whether certain directors are committed to acting in the best interests of all shareholders."

Bitfarms' shares were up nearly 6% at $2.13 as of 14:00 UTC following Riot's announcement.

Read More: Bitcoin Miner Stronghold Looking at Options, Including Sale of Company

Jamie Crawley

Jamie has been part of CoinDesk's news team since February 2021, focusing on breaking news, Bitcoin tech and protocols and crypto VC. He holds BTC, ETH and DOGE.

Jamie Crawley