MARA Shares Jump 5% as CLARITY Act Momentum Lifts Bitcoin and Mining Stocks

Shares of publicly traded Bitcoin miner MARA were up nearly 5% at the time of writing, as optimism resurfaced around the CLARITY Act, a U.S. crypto market structure bill. The White House reportedly agreed to ethics provisions aimed at winning Democratic support, clearing a path for the legislation to reach a final Senate floor vote. Bitcoin (BTC) extended its relief rally after the update, climbing from $63.1K to almost $67K. The move translates to a roughly 6% gain over the past two days. The broader mining complex also advanced. The CoinShares Bitcoin Mining ETF, which tracks the sector, rose 6.5%, while Riot Platforms (RIOT) gained 8% on the day. Mining equities outpace BTC in 2026 On a year-to-date (YTD) basis, the mining segment has outperformed spot Bitcoin in investor returns. BTC was down 24.5% YTD and traded near $66K at the time of writing. By comparison, MARA was up 36% and RIOT had surged 70% over the same period. Across the group, mining stocks were up about 46% in 2026, implying equity holders have outperformed spot BTC investors. The divergence may reflect the shift by several public miners toward AI infrastructure. Investors have rewarded AI-related developments even as Bitcoin struggled in the first half of 2026. Earlier this month, MARA's VP of investor relations, Robert Samuels, pushed back on a bearish Morgan Stanley call that projected the stock could fall 53% to $7. Samuels argued the valuation framed MARA solely as a Bitcoin miner, overlooking its growing AI initiatives. MARA held 36.3K BTC worth about $2.4 billion at the time of writing, after cutting its holdings from 53.8K BTC to help fund AI projects and reduce outstanding debt. The reduction also allowed Metaplanet to overtake MARA as the world's third-largest corporate Bitcoin treasury. Despite bearish views from Morgan Stanley and Weiss Ratings, eight other analysts see the stock reaching $18.5. That consensus implies about 51% upside. Final Summary MARA rallied roughly 5% as Bitcoin rebounded on fresh CLARITY Act progress. The stock has outpaced BTC by about 60% in 2026, and the Street's consensus target of $18.5 suggests another 51% upside.