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FinanceNvidia Reportedly Anchors Hut 8's $19.6 Billion Data Center Lease
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The Financial Times reported on July 28, 2026, that Nvidia Corporation is the previously unnamed customer behind Hut 8 Corp.'s Beacon Point data center leases in Texas. Hut 8 disclosed a second 15-year lease for 352 megawatts of IT capacity, doubling the tenant's footprint to 704 MW, with a base-term contract value of $19.6 billion. The often-quoted $50.2 billion figure applies only if renewal options are exercised. Nvidia could potentially sublease the site to neocloud partners, though no sublease has been announced. Hut 8 must supply energized buildings on schedule, having closed $4.25 billion in non-recourse notes for the project. The article also notes a small decline in hedge fund backing for HUT and low short interest in NVDA.
Source report
Author: Habib Ur Rehman Read Time: 3 minutes
- NVDA: +1.75%
- HUT: +19.55%
Overview
Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) is reportedly the previously unnamed customer behind Hut 8 Corp.'s (NASDAQ: HUT) Beacon Point data center leases in Texas. The Financial Times identified Nvidia as the tenant on July 28, citing five people familiar with the arrangement. Nvidia discussed its work with infrastructure partners but neither confirmed nor denied that it was the customer. Hut 8 has also not publicly named the tenant.
Contract Value and Key Details
While the attribution is significant, the contract math warrants close attention:
- July 20 Disclosure: Hut 8 announced a second 15-year lease for 352 megawatts (MW) of IT capacity, doubling the same investment-grade tenant's footprint to 704 MW.
- Base-Term Contract Value: The two leases give the campus a $19.6 billion base-term contract value.
- $50.2 Billion Figure: This often-quoted amount applies only if renewal options are exercised. It is neither guaranteed revenue nor the present value of a firm $50 billion obligation.
Strategic Implications
If the Financial Times reporting is correct, Nvidia's role extends beyond the use of AI chips at Beacon Point. As the reported lease counterparty, Nvidia would:
- Support rent on 704 MW of Hut 8 capacity.
- Potentially turn that capacity into a deployment channel for customers buying Nvidia systems.
The Financial Times reported that Nvidia could sublease the site to neocloud partners that purchase its GPUs and sell AI computing services. No sublease has been announced. Nvidia's public response instead emphasized DSX, its architecture for designing, building, and operating large AI factories with ecosystem partners.
Hut 8's Role and Financial Position
Hut 8's link to the project is contractual:
- Tenant rent underpins the $19.6 billion base-term value and the credit case for the project.
- Hut 8 must supply the energized buildings on schedule.
- The company closed $4.25 billion of non-recourse, investment-grade senior secured notes for Beacon Point in June.
- The first Phase 2 data hall is expected in the second quarter of 2028.
- Hut 8 must still manage construction, tenant concentration, and the financing demands of a 1-gigawatt development.
Hedge Fund Activity
Insider Monkey's database showed a small decline in hedge fund backing for HUT:
- As of March 31, 2026: 60 hedge fund portfolios reported long positions in HUT.
- As of December 31, 2025: 64 hedge fund portfolios reported long positions.
Nvidia Short Interest
As of July 15, 2026:
- Shares sold short: 324,052,767 NVDA shares, or 1.39% of public float.
- Nvidia's latest 10-Q showed no pending stock merger or convertible debt balance that would obviously create an arbitrage short.
- The low percentage does not indicate a crowded short and provides little basis for a squeeze thesis.
Disclaimer
While we acknowledge the potential of NVDA and HUT as investments, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. For more information, see our free report on the best short-term stocks.
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Source
Yahoo FinanceWestern
Part of this Story
Hut 8 Secures $9.8B AI Data Center Lease, Fully Commercializes Texas Campus