Bitmain has announced that it is ready to ship its new Antminer S15 and T15’s at the end of the month. Both models are designed to mine using the SHA-256 algorithm and boast an improved performance over the S9 model. Specs aside, critics are already starting to complain that these “new” mining rigs have already been running for three to six months in a Chinese warehouse. There is a good chance that anyone buying these new Antminers will have to clean up some rust and blow out a ton of dust before putting the miner to work.
We are officially announcing the release of our new 7nm miners which possess industry-leading hash rates designed to mine with the SHA256 algorithm. Two models will be offered, the Antminer S15 and T15. Available for purchase on 11/8. pic.twitter.com/m6HbWGZS1O
— BITMAIN [Not giving away ETH] (@BITMAINtech) November 6, 2018
Power Efficient and Powerful
The new Antminer range is set to boast an impressive 42J/TH, meaning if you plug in a power source of 1800-2500 watts, customers are looking at a power bill of around $35/TH/s. This new ultra-powerful rig blows away its nearest competitor – the Antminer S9 – and will help Bitmain to regain control over the mining hardware market. It will also be packing a 7nm ASIC chip, which means that more hashing power can be fitted into its mining rigs. Bitmain has yet to announce a price, but many are expecting them to cost between $1500 and $2500.
ASIC Boost Roaming Free
Towards the end of October, Bitmain launched its controversial ASIC boost firmware upgrade, meaning that older mining rigs will receive a marginal power boost to increase longevity. On shipping, Bitmain had been disabling the feature so that customers couldn’t access it, but after months of backlash from the crypto community it decided to finally enable it. It’s rumored that Bitmain has ASIC boost enabled on all of its mining rigs at its mining farm, then disables it when they ship them to customers.
An IPO on the Cards
Bitmain has been struggling financially, and in order to keep growing and staying ahead of the market, it has opted for an IPO. Bitmain filed its draft application form towards the end of September, and is expected to submit its final application by the end of the year. The IPO would help raise an enormous amount of funds for the firm and would help it cement its position as the world’s leading mining hardware manufacturer.
With a price of between $1500 and $2500, American miners will likely be put off from buying the new Antminer range due to Trump’s new import tariffs. They would need to pay a 30% import tax, which could set the final price at well over $3000 – not value for money in the eyes of many. Its new mining rigs are impressive in terms of power, but when compared to efficiency, Bitfury Clark remains king.
