Hut 8 expands Bitmain partnership with launch of next-gen ASIC miner, boosting hash rate by 80%

Quick Take

  • Hut 8 Corp. announced the expansion of its partnership with Bitmain Technologies with the launch of the U3S21EXPH, a next-generation ASIC miner.
  • Many miners are focusing on efficiency, cost control, and strategic investments, while managing the increased difficulty in the Bitcoin network.

Bitcoin miner Hut 8 Corp. announced Thursday the expansion of its partnership with mining rig manufacturer Bitmain Technologies with the launch of the U3S21EXPH, a next-generation ASIC miner.

Hut 8 plans to deploy the model in the second quarter of 2025 through a 15 exahash per second hosting agreement leveraging custom data center infrastructure developed in-house.

The deployment represents an additional development in Hut 8's collaboration with Bitmain, focusing on extending ASIC technology and incorporating artificial intelligence into data center operations.

“Our partnership with BITMAIN has allowed us to advance our thinking on ASIC compute and create a more scalable model for data center design as we expand our footprint,” said Hut 8 CEO Asher Genoot in a statement. “The U3S21EXPH will be the first miner from BITMAIN broadly commercialized with DLC cooling within a U form factor, making it rack-ready like traditional data center hardware. This innovation bridges critical engineering gaps between Bitcoin mining and AI data center infrastructure in both form factor and cooling technology, and we believe this convergence will enable us to unlock significant synergies and flexibility going forward.”

Hut 8 described the launch and rollout of the U3S21EXPH as a significant step in advancing its Bitcoin mining strategy and expanding opportunities in AI computing, according to a company press release.

"Hut 8’s technical expertise, operating strength, and track record of innovation made this partnership a natural evolution of our relationship as we began the journey of developing next-generation ASIC technology," said Irene Gao, vice president of mining of BITMAIN. "We are excited to deepen our relationship as we continue to define the future of mining."

The initial agreement comprises of roughly 15 EH/s and is expected to increase Hut 8’s hash rate under management from 18.5 EH/s to around 33.5 EH/s, according to the release. Hut's 8 stock (ticker HUT) was trading higher by more than 7% at publication time.

Bitcoin miner revenue has taken a steep drop following the latest Bitcoin halving event this past April. As mining companies prepare for the challenges ahead, many are focusing on efficiency, cost control and strategic investments, while managing the increased difficulty in the Bitcoin network.


Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

© 2024 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

About Author

Jason is a U.S. news editor at The Block. He previously worked as a staff writer and later served as managing editor at Benzinga, a financial news and data company. He led Benzinga's daily markets coverage as well as the expansion of the outlet's cannabis, cryptocurrency and sports betting verticals. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Central Michigan University and resides in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. Follow him on X @JasonShubnell.