Fortitude Mining Holdings appointed Jaime Leverton as chief executive as the Zcash (ZEC)-focused miner prepares for a public listing through a proposed combination with Nasdaq-listed HeartSciences (HSCS). Leverton will assume the role on September 21, succeeding Andrea Childs, who will transition to chief operating officer.
The company expects the merger to close in the fourth quarter, subject to shareholder approval and customary closing conditions. Once complete, the combined entity will adopt the Fortitude name and trade on Nasdaq under the ticker "TUDE." Based on HeartSciences' current share price and the shares expected to be issued to Fortitude owner Digital Currency Group and HeartSciences' preferred shareholders, the combined company would have an implied valuation of at least $400 million.
Leverton previously led institutional digital-asset manager ReserveOne and served as CEO of bitcoin miner Hut 8, where she oversaw its merger with US Bitcoin Corp. and its transition into a U.S.-domiciled company with bitcoin mining and high-performance computing operations.
Fortitude was spun out of Foundry's self-mining business by Digital Currency Group in January 2025. The company mined 72,696 ZEC during the six months through June, representing approximately 28% of the network's total production during that period. It reported second-quarter revenue of $20.9 million.
The miner operates more than 60 megawatts of power capacity across seven sites in South Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, and New York. The company describes itself as a "venture mining" platform that allocates capital across proof-of-work networks while maintaining a primary focus on Zcash. It is wholly owned by Barry Silbert's Digital Currency Group.
In her new role as COO, Childs will concentrate on mining operations, fleet and infrastructure strategy, and industry relationships.
