Intel Announces a Roadmap of Energy-efficient Blockchain Accelerators

[btarunr]

Digital computing continues to enrich our lives in more ways than we can imagine. We acquire, consume, and create content and services with a few clicks or taps of our fingertips. Exponential increases in compute performance, enabled by Moore's Law, play a significant role in making these experiences seamless. Moore's Law is also enabling us to democratize access to this enormous pool of processing power. Amazing things happen when a lot of compute is available to a lot of people without much friction.

Blockchain is a technology that has the potential to enable everyone to own much of the digital content and services they create. Some even call it an inflection point in computing, fundamentally disrupting the way we store, process and transact our digital assets as we usher in the era of metaverse and Web 3.0. No matter how the future evolves, it is certain the availability of a lot more compute to everyone will play a central role.



Today, we at Intel are declaring our intent to contribute to the development of blockchain technologies, with a roadmap of energy-efficient accelerators. Intel will engage and promote an open and secure blockchain ecosystem and will help advance this technology in a responsible and sustainable way.

We are mindful that some blockchains require an enormous amount of computing power, which unfortunately translates to an immense amount of energy. Our customers are asking for scalable and sustainable solutions, which is why we are focusing our efforts on realizing the full potential of blockchain by developing the most energy-efficient computing technologies at scale.

Our blockchain accelerator will ship later this year. We are engaged directly with customers that share our sustainability goals. Argo Blockchain, BLOCK (formerly known as Square) and GRIID Infrastructure are among our first customers for this upcoming product. This architecture is implemented on a tiny piece of silicon so that it has minimal impact to the supply of current products.

Intel Labs has dedicated decades of research into reliable cryptography, hashing techniques and ultra-low voltage circuits. We expect that our circuit innovations will deliver a blockchain accelerator that has over 1000x better performance per watt than mainstream GPUs for SHA-256 based mining. You will be able to learn more about our circuit innovations at the International Solid State Circuit Conference (ISSCC) this month.

To support this, and additional emerging technology, we have formed the new Custom Compute Group within Intel's Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics business unit. The objective of this team is to build custom silicon platforms optimized for customers' workloads, including blockchain and other custom accelerated supercomputing opportunities at the edge.

Onward, we aspire to leverage technologies from our zetta-scale computing initiative to deliver energy-efficient solutions that make our tomorrow better than our today.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[iO]

Wow, their Bitcoin ASIC is so efficient that they have to compare it to GPUs...

 

[Lnxepique]

Damn, now I want an Intel CPU which looks like the one in that picture. That black and gold looks insane.

 

[Metroid]

Wow, their Bitcoin ASIC is so efficient that they have to compare it to GPUs...

Yeah, who the hell do they want to impress here hehe, noobs I guess.

 

[Cutechri]

Damn, now I want an Intel CPU which looks like the one in that picture. That black and gold looks insane.

And you wouldn't even be able to see it when in use. Lol

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

We expect that our circuit innovations will deliver a blockchain accelerator that has over 1000x better performance per watt than mainstream GPUs for SHA-256 based mining.

thats a pretty big boast, but expectations and reality usually dont line up together.

 

[Steevo]

A roadmap, meaning multiple ewaste streams, hopefully the technology will bring something of value to the world.

 

[Lycanwolfen]

I have been a miner since 2010. We shall see.

 

[sillyconjunkie]

I can totally see Intel heading this route with their road map.

But seriously, Kat.. "Beau"-"Nans"-"A" !?

That was the best secret language product code-name you could muster? Oh baby..

 

[R-T-B]

thats a pretty big boast, but expectations and reality usually dont line up together.

It's a typical ASIC style boost. But that's just performance. Power consumption will be everything.

meaning multiple ewaste streams,

This is the end-point for all technology, you know.

 

[lexluthermiester]

This is a great move from Intel. Companies should have been doing this years ago..

 

[bobsled]

Digital computing continues to enrich our lives in more ways than we can imagine.

It *can* but generally speaking that statement is a load of garbage. Digital computing has been credited for antisocial media, 'news' vitriol and other political nonsense which provides a negative impact to the world.

It's a typical ASIC style boost. But that's just performance. Power consumption will be everything.

This is the end-point for all technology, you know.

This can be used for nothing else but consume power and resources for the sake of it.

 

[lexluthermiester]

This can be used for nothing else but consume power and resources for the sake of it.

You failed to understand the purpose if this then?

 

[bobsled]

You failed to understand the purpose if this then?

That it's to reduce power consumed vs other ASICs, whilst still doing nothing productive?

 

[R-T-B]

This can be used for nothing else but consume power and resources for the sake of it.

...you conveniently forgot the entire payment network...

The obvious counter to that is that bitcoin hasn't been usable (in the practical sense, fees) as a payment network for some time, of course. Hopefully some day that will be rectified.

 

[bobsled]

...you conveniently forgot the entire payment network...

I didn't forget it. I'm stating cryptocurrencies are a colossal waste of resources and aren't backed by anything aside from a greater fool.

The obvious counter to that is that bitcoin hasn't been usable (in the practical sense, fees) as a payment network for some time, of course. Hopefully some day that will be rectified.

Also in the practical sense, speed of transaction taking place and the resultant variance in value between when the transaction was initiated and actually processed, giving rise to middlemen exchanges which make money off a fixed rate.

 

[lexluthermiester]

That it's to reduce power consumed vs other ASICs, whilst still doing nothing productive?

Clearly you're against coin mining and being deliberately pedantic & belligerent about it. Unless the all of the worlds governments unite and ban it, mining is not stopping. So with Intel's efforts here the benefit is that not only will the electricity used be dramatically reduced, but also because these ASICs can do the same work as a GPU but at a lower purchase cost, lower cost of operation and MUCH higher ROI. This will make them EXTREMELY attractive for miners. This will have the side effect of reducing demand of GPUs for mining, which will mean more availability of GPUs to the public, reducing shortages and prices, but also making used GPU much less desirable for mining and reducing the shortage and cost there too.

So instead of being so short sighted and negative, you should be happy for the side-effects ASICs are going to have and encouraging companies to make dedicated ASICs to draw the attention of miners away from traditional PCs as a mining platform.

TADA!

I didn't forget it. I'm stating cryptocurrencies are a colossal waste of resources and aren't backed by anything aside from a greater fool.

While you're not wrong, there's no stopping it without the governments of the world banning it all. So again, cheer ASICs on and be happy that mining will be using less electrical power and freeing up GPU's for consumers to buy.

 

[R-T-B]

I didn't forget it. I'm stating cryptocurrencies are a colossal waste of resources and aren't backed by anything aside from a greater fool.

It used to be the crypto economy. Sadly today you are mostly correct.

 

[AsRock]

Damn, now I want an Intel CPU which looks like the one in that picture. That black and gold looks insane.

It's a light source making it look gold lol, never mind it being a fake picture.

 

[Space Lynx]

While you're not wrong, there's no stopping it without the governments of the world banning it all. So again, cheer ASICs on and be happy that mining will be using less electrical power and freeing up GPU's for consumers to buy.

The EU will do so eventually I think, and if the USA banned it it might be enough of a chopping block for it since the USA represents such an immense amount of spending power.

The finite resources we are wasting as a species... is alarming to say the least.