MARA Launches Bitcoin-Focused Foundation, Opens $100,000 Community Grant Vote

Bitcoin Magazine

MARA Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MARA) announced the launch of the MARA Foundation, an initiative focused on strengthening the Bitcoin network and expanding access to bitcoin as a financial tool. 

The company unveiled the foundation today at the Bitcoin 2026 conference in Las Vegas.

The MARA Foundation will support Bitcoin development across five areas: network security, including research into quantum resistance; open-source software development; access to self-custody tools and infrastructure; public policy and advocacy; and education for users, developers, and policymakers.

To mark the launch, the foundation introduced a $100,000 contribution that will be awarded to one of three selected organizations through a community vote. Voting is open through April 29 at 3:00 PM PST on the foundation’s website, with in-person voting available at MARA’s conference booth.

“Our new initiative is dedicated to supporting the long-term strength, resilience and accessibility of the Bitcoin network,” MARA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Fred Thiel said at The Bitcoin 2026 Conference.

Organizations selected for MARA’s grant

The selected organizations include SateNet, which builds community-operated wireless networks powered by Bitcoin; the 256 Foundation, which funds open-source Bitcoin mining hardware and software development; and Libreria de Satoshi, which focuses on expanding access to Bitcoin technical education across languages and regions.

Thiel said the company’s role in mining Bitcoin creates a responsibility to support the protocol’s long-term development. He said the foundation will fund researchers, developers, and educators working on the next phase of Bitcoin’s growth.

“We mine Bitcoin. We help secure the network every day. That gives us a responsibility to invest in the protocol’s long-term health, not just its short-term economics,” said Thiel. 

The winning organization will be announced after voting closes.

Back in March, MARA Holdings sold 15,133 Bitcoin for about $1.1 billion to fund the repurchase of its 0% convertible senior notes. 

The company reduced its outstanding convertible debt by roughly 30%, cutting it from about $3.3 billion to $2.3 billion and achieving savings from discounted buybacks. 

MARA said the move strengthened its balance sheet, limited potential shareholder dilution, and supported its broader shift toward AI and high-performance computing while its Bitcoin holdings fell to 38,689 BTC.

Shares of MARA are trading near $11.65 a share, according to recent market data.

This post first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.