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On Tuesday, Jack Dorsey, the founder of Block, took to X to announce that the company is “building a mining rig.” Dorsey also shared a blog post authored by Block’s lead for mining hardware products, Naoise Irwin. The post revealed enhancements in the chip design, upgrading from the initially planned 5-nanometer (nm) process to an advanced 3nm architecture.
Block intends to construct a mining rig, as detailed in the company’s recent blog post and a social media update from Jack Dorsey. Naoise Irwin, Block’s lead for mining hardware products, revealed that earlier reports from the mining development team mentioned work on a 5nm prototype. However, the design has now advanced to a 3nm process, and the company is proceeding with a full tapeout.
During the tapeout phase, every aspect of the chip’s design reaches completion, encompassing circuit design, physical layout, and verification processes. Irwin asserts that its chip will possess substantial performance “required for mining operators of all types to survive and thrive in the fifth mining epoch and beyond.” Block’s foray into the production of application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) occurs amid intense competition.
For example, Microbt, Bitmain, and Canaan have launched new mining rigs that feature enhanced hashrates and improved efficiency levels. Bitdeer has also entered the ASIC market by unveiling the Sealminer A1 mining rigs and announcing its collaboration with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) for the fabrication process. The Sealminer’s semiconductor is based on 4nm technology. The manufacturer Auradine also creates its own ASIC, utilizing 4nm silicon chip technology.
Irwin contends that with an independent mining chip, Block will be the sole large, well-funded mining hardware vendor offering such a solution. The company’s blog post emphasized its hope that this will foster innovation in mining systems and aid in the development of new mining system form factors and use cases. The product lead concluded that the firm remains eager to receive feedback from mining participants to collect additional input.
