---
title: "Bitcoin mining offshoot Nscale reportedly loses Microsoft AI deal"
language: en
canonical: "https://whycoinmoves.com/en/events/bitcoin-8db95f946bbeee"
published: 2026-10-20T05:33:56.000Z
updated: 2026-10-20T07:02:00.000Z
indexable: false
---

# Bitcoin mining offshoot Nscale reportedly loses Microsoft AI deal

Attributed sources: [CoinDesk](<https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2026/10/19/bitcoin-mining-offshoot-nscale-loses-microsoft-ai-deal-as-power-delay-stretches-into-2030s>)

## Key facts

CoinDesk reports that Nscale, an Nvidia-backed bitcoin mining offshoot, lost a Microsoft AI deal and that its U.K. grid connection may be delayed into the 2030s. The report is attributed to CoinDesk and is not an official company statement; it does not establish any effect on bitcoin's price.
News evidence score: 30/100 from 1 publisher group(s) (CoinDesk); this measures source completeness, not truth or causation.
After site detection, observed returns were 1 hour: -0.20% (difference from BTC 0.00 pp; 20/10/2026, 13:34 → 20/10/2026, 14:34, UTC+8; OKX · USDT). Unlisted windows are unavailable.
In the preceding 30 days, the 99th percentile of absolute hourly returns was 1.23% (OKX · USDT; cutoff 20/10/2026, 13:33, UTC+8). This hourly baseline is not directly comparable with a minute move.

## Returns after site detection

| Window | Return | BTC | Difference from BTC | Actual sampled interval (UTC+8) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 5 minutes | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 hour | -0.20% | -0.20% | 0.00 pp | 20/10/2026, 13:34 → 20/10/2026, 14:34 | OKX · USDT |
| 24 hours | — | — | — | — | — |

## Historical hourly baseline

| Metric | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Ready | true |
| Coverage | 99.9% (719/720) |
| Median absolute hourly return | 0.15% |
| 99th percentile of absolute hourly returns | 1.23% |
| BTC beta | 1.00 |
| Source / cutoff (UTC+8) | OKX · USDT / 20/10/2026, 13:33 |

## Claims and open questions

- Nscale lost a Microsoft AI deal, according to CoinDesk.
- The company planned to deliver 23,000 AI chips in the U.K. next year.
- Its grid connection may not be ready until the 2030s, per the report.
- Whether Microsoft, Nscale, or grid operators have confirmed the reported deal loss or the power delay.
- Whether the report has any causal link to bitcoin market activity, which is not established by timing alone.
- What the current status and timing of the planned U.K. AI chip deliveries are.

## Source evidence

- [Bitcoin mining offshoot Nscale loses Microsoft AI deal as power delay stretches into 2030s](<https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2026/10/19/bitcoin-mining-offshoot-nscale-loses-microsoft-ai-deal-as-power-delay-stretches-into-2030s>) — CoinDesk; published 19/10/2026, 17:15; received 20/10/2026, 13:33 (UTC+8).


## Recent BTC events and market reactions

- [Reports: Strategy buys $22M in bitcoin, repurchases $193M in STRC](<https://whycoinmoves.com/en/events/bitcoin-a8e56e82aac2a7>)
- [Full coin archive](<https://whycoinmoves.com/en/coins/bitcoin>)

[Methods and limitations](<https://whycoinmoves.com/en/methodology>)
Publisher count is not independent evidence count. Price changes cannot verify news or prove causation.