Intel forms a Custom Compute Group to build blockchain hardware and plans to ship cryptocurrency mining chips in 2022; Block, Argo, and Griid are customers
Intel's dedicated blockchain unit extends a longer custom-silicon posture: related coverage says custom designs were already expected to account for more than half of its public-cloud chip sales in 2015. The new group applies that model to mining customers rather than general-purpose cloud buyers.
Block, Argo, and Griid gain Intel as a named prospective source of mining-specific chips, while Intel creates a customer-facing unit focused on blockchain hardware.
Intel's Custom Compute Group becomes responsible for translating its custom-chip capability into a product line scheduled to ship in 2022.
Block's later work on its own mining chip underscores that large mining buyers can pursue both external supply and in-house silicon design rather than depend on one hardware vendor.
If mining buyers continue to design chips internally while seeking outside fabrication, the market shifts toward second-source strategies and foundry access rather than durable reliance on any one ASIC vendor.
The trend: Cryptocurrency mining hardware is becoming a second-source compute market in which major buyers mix merchant ASICs with custom-silicon programs.
Smart move for @intel to partner with @griid to help build out their Blockchain and New Custom Compute Group. Nice work @treykelly3 🙌🏼 https://www.intel.com/...
Intel is launching an ultra-low-voltage, energy-efficient #blockchain accelerator chip, expected to perform over 1000x better per watt than GPUs for SHA-256 based mining, that starts shipping later this year. https://www.intel.com/...
What kind of twisted logic do you need to announce a #Bitcoin mining chip and not mention Bitcoin even once in your PR article? But of course, there is blockchain, metaverse and web 3.0 all over the place. 🤡 https://www.intel.com/...
This is the news we've been waiting for @ArgoBlockchain. @intel blockchain accelerator will ship later this year and they are engaged directly with customers that share their sustainability goals, including @ArgoBlockchain. Just in time to fill Helios! https://www.intel.com/...
Excited to be one of @Intel's first customers for their upcoming ASIC. Efficiency, innovation, and sustainability - a great combination. 💥 #ARB $ARBK https://www.intel.com/...
Will @intel bring about a bonanza of $BTC mining power at low cost? Will it be able to compete effectively against their much smaller yet laser focused rivals like @BITMAINtech ? https://www.tomshardware.com/ ...