Via iq.wiki
The crypto-native firm secured over 1.6 GW of approved power capacity at its West Texas campus, prioritizing deliverable energy over inflated headline figures.
Galaxy Digital is making a pointed distinction in the AI infrastructure gold rush: not all gigawatts are created equal.
The company, which trades on both NASDAQ and the TSX under the ticker GLXY, has secured ERCOT approval for an additional 830 MW of power at its Helios campus in West Texas. That brings total approved capacity at the site to more than 1.6 GW, a figure the company says is backed by actual grid integration work rather than the speculative capacity figures that have become common currency in data center marketing.
The war on ‘bragawatts’ #
Galaxy’s leadership has coined a term for the inflated power numbers competitors love to splash across press releases: “bragawatts.” Announcing a multi-gigawatt pipeline is easy. Actually getting the local grid operator to approve your interconnection, completing transmission upgrades, and building contingency plans is the hard part.
The 830 MW approval that pushed Helios past the 1.6 GW mark came through comprehensive Large Load Interconnection Studies with ERCOT, the grid operator for most of Texas.
CEO Mike Novogratz framed the approval as a competitive moat. He said the new capacity positions Galaxy to deliver the reliable power infrastructure that leading AI companies actually need.
CoreWeave partnership anchors the economics #
Construction at Helios is already underway under a multi-year lease agreement with CoreWeave, the GPU cloud provider that has become one of the most sought-after partners in the AI infrastructure space. Initial power delivery is planned for early 2026.
The Helios site is designed for multi-tenant AI and high-performance computing workloads, meaning CoreWeave won’t be the only occupant.
Why a crypto firm is building data centers #
Galaxy Digital started life as a crypto-focused merchant bank and investment firm under Novogratz. Bitcoin mining operations already gave the company deep expertise in sourcing cheap power, negotiating with grid operators, and managing large-scale compute facilities.
Rather than simply brokering power or leasing space from third parties, the company wants to own and operate the physical infrastructure itself. Owning the site, the power interconnection, and the facility means Galaxy captures more of the value chain instead of paying landlord margins to someone else.
Expansion beyond Texas #
Galaxy isn’t stopping at Helios. The company is actively evaluating additional power and land opportunities across Texas and in other states, aiming to build a multi-campus infrastructure platform.
Galaxy’s strategy of leveraging lessons learned from Helios, particularly around navigating ERCOT’s interconnection process, could give it a procedural edge in new markets.
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