GoMining's Vision for Mining and Spending Bitcoin in 2026
Speakers
Summary
- Shift from HODL to SPEDN: Zolan argues that the "Store of Value" narrative is only half the equation. Go Mining's internal data suggests 70%+ of crypto holders actively want to spend their assets but are blocked by complex bridging and high fees.
- The Merchant Incentive Wedge: The strategy to drive adoption in 2026 is not consumer ideology, but merchant economics. By undercutting the standard 2.5% Visa/Mastercard fee to near-zero via Bitcoin Layer 1 rails, they aim to force merchant adoption.
- Gamification of Hashrate: Go Mining is democratizing mining by selling NFT-based hashrate (starting at $25), effectively turning mining into a yield-bearing asset class for retail without hardware headaches.
- Yield Without Lockups: A key product focus is "Simple Earn," offering yield on BTC, ETH, and Stablecoins without staking lockups, aiming to become a "Super App" for crypto management.
Trade Ideas
Zolan states that "70% plus of people say yes, we'd like to be able to spend it" and Go Mining is rolling out a "Simple Earn" product that pays yield every four hours on these assets without lockups, alongside a debit card. The transition of crypto from a passive "pet rock" asset to a high-velocity currency with native yield generation increases utility and demand. If friction decreases (via cards/apps), velocity of money for these specific L1s and stablecoins increases. LONG. The integration of yield + spending utility creates a sticky ecosystem for these assets. Regulatory crackdowns on "yield" products or banking rail failures.
The interviewer notes that Square (Block) has a "leg up" with Bitcoin terminals and the Cash App ecosystem, already integrating merchants and consumers. Go Mining is attempting to enter a market where Square is the dominant incumbent for "Bitcoin-native merchant services." Go Mining's success depends on out-innovating or undercutting Square. WATCH. Square is the benchmark. If Go Mining gains traction, it validates the sector but threatens Square's moat. If Square pivots faster, they crush new entrants. Square's closed-loop ecosystem is difficult to penetrate.
Zolan notes that currently, "2.5% of [merchant] volume goes back to Visa and Mastercard." He explicitly states their new product aims to make payment acceptance costs "minuscule... thousands of 1 cent" or free. This is a classic "race to the bottom" on fees. If crypto payment rails (Layer 1 Bitcoin) can reliably offer merchants a 250bps margin improvement, merchants will incentivize consumers to switch away from legacy credit card rails. SHORT / AVOID. Legacy payment processors face margin compression if L1 payment rails achieve UX parity. Consumer addiction to credit card rewards (points/miles) may outweigh merchant preferences.
Mark Zolan
CEO of Go Mining
Go Mining has onboarded "almost 5 million people" to mining via NFT-based hashrate, allowing entry for as little as $25. By abstracting the hardware and electricity complexities, Go Mining is increasing the capital inflows into the mining sector. This "retail-ization" of industrial mining stabilizes hashrate growth and broadens the investor base for the mining ecosystem. LONG. Democratized access to hashrate creates a more robust mining network and sustained demand for mining infrastructure. Bitcoin halving events reducing rewards; centralization of hashrate in large pools.
