Thursday, January 20th 2022

Intel "Bonanza Mine" Bitcoin ASIC Secures First Big Customer, a $3.3 Billion Crypto-Mining Startup

Just a few days ago, we reported that Intel is preparing to unveil the company's first application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) dedicated to mining cryptocurrency. To be more specific, Intel plans to show off its "Bonanza Mine" ASIC at the 2022 ISSCC Conference, describing the chip as "ultra low-voltage energy-efficient Bitcoin mining ASIC." We have yet to see how this competes with other industry-made ASICs like the ones from Bitmain. However, it seems like the startup company GRIID, valued at around $3.3 billion, thinks that the Bonanza Mine ASIC is the right choice and has entered a definitive supply agreement with Intel.

According to the S-4 filing, GRIID has "entered into a definitive supply contract with Intel to provide ASICs that we expect to fuel our growth. The initial order will supply units to be delivered in 2022 and GRIID will have access to a significant share of Intel's future production volumes." There are a few other mentions of Intel in the document, and you can see another exciting tidbit below.
GRIID S-4 FilingOn September 8, 2021, GRIID entered to a supply agreement (the "Intel Supply Agreement") pursuant to which GRIID may purchase Intel-designed BZM2 ASICs. The Intel Supply Agreement is for an initial four-year term and will automatically renew thereafter for one period unless either party provides at least 90 days' notice prior to the end of the initial four-year term. The Intel Supply Agreement provides GRIID with fixed pricing for the BZM2 ASICs for all orders placed prior to May 2023. In addition, subject to certain conditions, GRIID will be entitled to purchase from Intel at least 25% of all qualified Intel-designed ASICs through approximately May 2025.
Source: Tom's Hardware
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66 Comments on Intel "Bonanza Mine" Bitcoin ASIC Secures First Big Customer, a $3.3 Billion Crypto-Mining Startup

#51
lexluthermiester
R-T-Bbut it is more treating the symptoms.
You're not wrong. Sometimes that's what is needed.
Posted on Reply
#52
AusWolf
RexterHow the heck is a company valued at 3.3 BILLION DOLLARS a "startup"?
Exactly what I thought. If you give me 3.3 billion, I'll start up a company. Pinkie swear. :toast:
Posted on Reply
#53
lexluthermiester
AusWolfIf you give me 3.3 billion, I'll start up a company.
That's what I would do and I know exactly what I would make.
Posted on Reply
#54
Steevo
ShiBDiBThese are ASIC's.. specifically designed machines that have no use outside of what they're created to do..

Stop regurgitating bad information
Cause we couldn’t use more dies available for overpriced and low availability products?

It would all be solved by banning crypto currency, or we can use dies to make one time use products that have a very finite lifecycle, waste energy at every step of their limited lifecycle, consume RAM chips that could be put to better use, and will be Ewaste in 24 months or less just so a few people can proclaim the imagined superior use of a virtual idea that has no real world value just like real cash.
Posted on Reply
#55
lexluthermiester
Steevowill be Ewaste in 24 months or less
Nonsense. At 2.5W this ASIC ROI will be very large and will remain relevant for 3 or 4 years due to it's low cost of operation.
Posted on Reply
#56
Steevo
lexluthermiesterNonsense. At 2.5W this ASIC ROI will be very large and will remain relevant for 3 or 4 years due to it's low cost of operation.
Cause no one else will make a even more efficient ASIC that is half the power in 2 years when we have better nodes?

I would like to say I could believe you about it, but Crypto is a useless product driven by nothing more than human greed and that greed will only serve one master, and that is profits.
Posted on Reply
#57
TheoneandonlyMrK
lexluthermiesterNonsense. At 2.5W this ASIC ROI will be very large and will remain relevant for 3 or 4 years due to it's low cost of operation.
I don't know, most mining rigs , and I mean bitmain type rigs not GPUS don't have one chip, they have board's filled with the same ASIC and still pull a kilowatt or more all told with cooling in reality and pro miner's have farms of these.

It's in the name "Bonanza mine"
Posted on Reply
#58
lexluthermiester
TheoneandonlyMrKI don't know, most mining rigs , and I mean bitmain type rigs not GPUS don't have one chip, they have board's filled with the same ASIC and still pull a kilowatt or more all told with cooling in reality and pro miner's have farms of these.

It's in the name "Bonanza mine"
While true, the hashrates scale linearly with each ASIC added so the result is the same. 2.5W for 137ghps? That's a solid improvement by anyone's scales.
Posted on Reply
#59
TheoneandonlyMrK
lexluthermiesterWhile true, the hashrates scale linearly with each ASIC added so the result is the same. 2.5W for 137ghps? That's a solid improvement by anyone's scales.
Oh yeah I agree per core and on the whole I get why you might think it could end in less power use, it likely will but could possibly be mass manufactured beyond compare by Intel.
And also I would assume a mining company would have a known power budget and space and work within that, scaling up with a smile.
Posted on Reply
#60
ShiBDiB
SteevoCause we couldn’t use more dies available for overpriced and low availability products?

It would all be solved by banning crypto currency, or we can use dies to make one time use products that have a very finite lifecycle, waste energy at every step of their limited lifecycle, consume RAM chips that could be put to better use, and will be Ewaste in 24 months or less just so a few people can proclaim the imagined superior use of a virtual idea that has no real world value just like real cash.
I see you're on the one extreme of this discussion...

That's the issue, there's a middle ground here but crypto is almost as divided as politics. Either you love it or you think crypto should be banned.
Posted on Reply
#61
lexluthermiester
ShiBDiBI see you're on the one extreme of this discussion...

That's the issue, there's a middle ground here but crypto is almost as divided as politics. Either you love it or you think crypto should be banned.
If governments would PROPERLY regulate it, it's existence wouldn't be a problem and all would be well. But no government is going to do that because of the inherent instability doing so would introduce to the official currencies. So the best solution is to ban it outright.
Posted on Reply
#62
Steevo
lexluthermiesterIf governments would PROPERLY regulate it, it's existence wouldn't be a problem and all would be well. But no government is going to do that because of the inherent instability doing so would introduce to the official currencies. So the best solution is to ban it outright.
I am first and foremost a believer in the free market.

However things like solar roadways, hyperloop, sun city solar are proof that enough people with good intentions but terrible technical understanding of a subject means people will be screwed.

In this case we the hardware enthusiasts, gamers are being screwed by high hardware costs. The barrier to entry for hardware is being artificially inflated. For a product that isn't needed.

All that aside the power use to date is horrible, and what happens when a new crypto is "invented" beyond more power for projects that take a either ever increasing difficulty and thus hardware requirement or have flaws (plot mining to ruin mass storage and increase its cost as well).
Posted on Reply
#63
lexluthermiester
SteevoI am first and foremost a believer in the free market.
As am I. However, lines must be drawn somewhere and cryptocoins have proven they are more disruptive than of benefit. Therefore banning them is a viable and valid option. China was the largest mining nation on Earth until they banned it. This was not something they did on a whim. The Russians are likewise very careful when they make a decision. They seem to have come to the same conclusion as China.
SteevoHowever things like solar roadways, hyperloop, sun city solar are proof that enough people with good intentions but terrible technical understanding of a subject means people will be screwed.
This is how a lot of people feel about cryptocoin.
SteevoIn this case we the hardware enthusiasts, gamers are being screwed by high hardware costs. The barrier to entry for hardware is being artificially inflated. For a product that isn't needed.
Again, totally agree. This is why I think manufacturing companies need to stay on top of the game and ahead of the curve. Intel is attempting to ease the burdens of both the tech supply chains and the power grids of the world by making an ASIC like this. Hopefully it will inspire more to follow and we can finally get a handle on the burdens cryptomining has imposed on the world.

If we can get government to see the potential benefits of blockchain and set regulations that will foster fairness and stability then all of this can work. If not, it's doomed to fall apart and get banned.
Posted on Reply
#64
R-T-B
lexluthermiesterThat's what I would do and I know exactly what I would make.
A GIANT COMPUTER!
Posted on Reply
#65
lexluthermiester
R-T-BA GIANT COMPUTER!
Nope. A tech manufacturing company that specializes in and caters to the niche market. For example, decently spec'd but not super expensive Android phones and tablets with slide-away keyboards and physical camera shudders, Windows laptops with 22" screens but not super expensive parts(this might go along with your giant suggestion), cases with modern features AND 5.25"/3.5" expansion bays.. That list goes on. I am VERY tired of the status-quo... Function over fashion would be a part of the company charter. People before profits would be another.
Posted on Reply
#66
R-T-B
lexluthermiesterNope. A tech manufacturing company that speciallize in and caters to the niche market. For example, decently spec'd but not super expensive Android phones and tablets with slide-away keyboards and physical camera sudders, Windows laptops with 22" screens but not super expensive parts(this might go along with your giant suggestion), cases with modern features AND 5.25"/3.5" expansion bays.. That list goes on. I am VERY tired of the status-quo... Function over fashion would be a part of the company charter. People before profits would be another.
But... but... big computer with 10,000 gpus and Crysis 8k...


I may or may not be subtly mocking Linus who did something sort of like that, and then played bloody minecraft on it.
Posted on Reply
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