Block Inc., the Bitcoin-focused fintech led by Jack Dorsey, has unveiled “Proto Rig,” a mining system designed to extend hardware life spans to 10 years or more while reducing upgrade costs for miners facing high capital expenses.
Unlike traditional rigs that are replaced every three to five years, the modular design allows miners to swap out individual hashboards as technology advances, potentially lowering upgrade costs by 20% per cycle. Alongside the hardware, Block introduced “Proto Fleet,” an open-source platform for managing large-scale mining operations.
Both products debuted at Core Scientific’s Dalton, Georgia, facility, building on Block’s earlier push into mining hardware with a 3-nanometer Bitcoin chip and a supply agreement with Core Scientific.
Komodo Platform CTO Kadan Stadelmann praised the open-source approach, saying it delivers more power per rack foot and supports Bitcoin’s decentralized ethos. The system could also reduce e-waste, a common issue in mining where outdated rigs are scrapped prematurely.
High-end Bitcoin rigs can cost over $10,000 before factoring in electricity, and while miners currently generate more than $50 million in Bitcoin daily, profitability depends on costs, mining difficulty, and efficiency.
The launch comes as mining companies diversify into high-performance computing and AI. Hive Digital has integrated HPC revenues, and Core Scientific pivoted to AI workloads after its 2022 bankruptcy, leading to a $9 billion acquisition by CoreWeave this July.
With Proto Rig and Proto Fleet, Block aims to give miners long-lasting, adaptable tools to remain competitive in both crypto and emerging digital infrastructure markets.
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Source: https://coindoo.com/block-unveils-bitcoin-mining-rig-built-to-last-10-years/