Riot Platforms Goes ‘Nuclear’ – RIOT Stock Explodes To 4-Year High After Sealing Deal For Molten Salt AI Power Plants

• The rally comes after Riot Platforms announced a partnership with Terrestrial Energy to develop nuclear-powered data centers.
• The company said the initiative could scale up to 4 gigawatts of nuclear capacity, though deployment is expected in the early 2030s.
• The project aims to support AI workloads, high-performance computing, and Bitcoin mining using IMSR reactor technology.

Riot Platform (RIOT) stock rallied to a fresh four-year high on Wednesday after the company announced it had inked a new deal with Terrestrial Energy (IMSR) to co-locate molten salt nuclear reactors with hyperscale data centers. 

Simply put, they want to build data centers for artificial intelligence workflows, high performance computing, and Bitcoin (BTC) mining with small nuclear power plants located nearby to provide constant and reliable energy. What makes the deal special is the Terrestrial Energy’s Integral Molten Salt Reactor, giving Riot an edge over other Bitcoin mining companies that are pivoting towards data centre infrastructure. 

RIOT’s stock gained over 12% to hit $23.64, the highest the share price has been since March 2022. The stock was also among the top trending tickers on Stocktwits at the time of writing. Retail sentiment around the company on the platform rose to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘bullish’ territory, accompanied by ‘high’ levels of chatter. 

IMSR’s stock also rallied, gaining over 15% in intra-day trade and was also among the top trending tickers on Stocktwits. Retail sentiment around the firm on Stocktwits trended in ‘bullish’ territory over the past day, also with ‘high’ levels of chatter.

Why Is RIOT’s Stock Rallying Today?

According to the announcement, Terrestrial Energy’s technology is a newer, smaller type of nuclear plant designed to be safer, more flexible, and easier to build than traditional reactors. Riot will handle building and operating the data centers.

The company said the project targets up to 4 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power from multiple 390 megawatt (MW) IMSR plants, using standard-assay low-enriched uranium (SALEU) fuel. Natural gas may serve as a bridge fuel for faster operations and resilience.

IMSR and RIOT companies are exploring sites in Texas and Kentucky, along with other locations. These projects are still in early stages, and the first facilities may not be ready until the early 2030s.

Riot’s Pivot Away From Bitcoin Mining

Riot Platforms began pivoting from a pure Bitcoin mining focus toward AI data centers and diversified infrastructure in early 2025, when it announced it was pausing new mining projects at its Corsicana facility to pursue AI opportunities.

Activist investor pressure intensified in February 2026 amid falling Bitcoin mining profitability, pushing Riot to accelerate sales of BTC holdings for data center expansion funding. The company sold 3,778 BTC in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026 to support this shift.

Riot now holds around 15,679 BTC, valued at roughly $1.2 billion as per Bitcoin’s price today, including 5,802 BTC restricted as collateral. Bitcoin’s price edged 0.32% higher in the last 24 hours to around $81,800, paring gains after crossing $82,500 earlier in the day.

Adding to the bullish momentum behind Riot, H.C. Wainwright raised its price target on RIOT’s stock to $25 from $23 and kept a ‘Buy’ rating on the shares, citing first quarter (Q1) results momentum, despite the company missing earnings expectations, and its deal with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).

RIOT’s stock has gained 75% this year, while IMSR’s stock has climbed over 30%. 

Read also: HUT Stock Eyes Record High Above $100 After $10 Billion Texas AI Data Center Deal

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