The mining hardware sector has become quite the specialist market, with ranges like the Bitmain S19 revolutionising the way cryptocurrency is mined for good. With greater hash rates, performance and efficiency now going hand-in-hand with such mining machinery, the Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) has become a force to be reckoned with, and there’s one big name that often follows the best crypto mining hardware out there.
Privately owned Bitmain has been designing, developing and manufacturing cutting-edge ASIC chips for Bitcoin mining for just over a decade, making them a mainstay in the global blockchain network. Their early progression into digital currency mining servers cemented their success, with their brand Antminer now the go-to for home miners and industrial-scale operations in more than 100 different countries and regions.
Whilst on paper, Bitmain has a relatively short history due to the Beijing-headquartered organisation’s foundation in 2013, their story so far has brought a long list of innovations, advanced computational infrastructure and solutions to the market, including their leading Bitmain S19 Series. Join us as we take a look back at the history of Antminer, from manufacturer Bitmain’s first-generation mining machines to their bestselling Bitmain S19 models right up to the present day and the much-anticipated release of their S21 Series.
Introducing the first, mass-produced BTC miner
While best known for their innovative and ultra-efficient Bitmain S19 Series, Bitmain started out with the Antminer S1 during their very first year.
The release of their first mining machine meant an industry-first for the Bitcoin market as well as a sustainable solution for miners around the world. The Antminer S1 was one of the most efficient Bitcoin (BTC) miners to hit the market, and also the first to be mass produced and delivered straight to customers’ doors.
2014 – a busy year for the Bitmain team
Following the success of their first BTC miner, Bitmain got to work designing and developing new devices to satisfy the growing needs of the ever-expanding mining market. Bitmain entered the market at just the right time, with the rising popularity of digital currency – and more specifically Bitcoin – presenting a gap in the market for an industry innovator with a passion for BTC mining.
During those early years, Bitcoin experienced one of its first price spikes, rising from 13 USD at the beginning of 2013 to 250 USD during the spring to more than 1,100 USD by year-end. To capitalise on this rapid market growth, Bitmain launched their Antminer S2, S3, S4 and S5 miners. While a far cry from the technological innovation found in their more recently released Bitmain S19 mining models, these BTC miners brought advancements that were cutting-edge at the time to mining operations that so desperately craved them.
2014 also saw the foundation of Antpool. This, now world-leading, cryptocurrency mining platform enables multiple miners to combine their computational power and mine several types of digital currencies more effectively. Antpool became independent from Bitmain in May 2021.
The world leader in BTC mining servers
Despite the launch of Bitmain S19 being a long way off, manufacturer Bitmain got the recognition they deserved in 2015 when they were ranked the top Bitcoin mining server specialist. Now a key industry player, their mining rigs became highly desirable, especially as the price of Bitcoin continued to increase, and the wider market and mining opportunities evolved. With a push for even greater processing power and performance however, their S9 Series was born.
Released in 2016, these miners coined a new era of efficiency, with 100 J/T rates made possible by Bitmain S9 equipment. S9 mining models were ground-breaking, with their hash rate, power consumption, efficiency, compact size and noise levels all presenting industry firsts. While the Bitmain S19 offered a significantly higher hash rate upon its release four years later, the improved efficiencies delivered by the S9 provided a boost for miners across the globe.
It wasn’t just mining servers that Bitmain became known and celebrated for. Their foundation of brand SOPHON made them one of the early adopters of artificial intelligence within the sector. SOPHON went onto unite with SOPHGO in 2021 and is now a leading provider of smart computing modules worldwide.
In subsequent years, Bitmain improved the versatility of their Antminer servers. Ahead of the launch of their iconic Bitmain S19 series, Antminer servers were enhanced to facilitate the mining of DASH (D3), LTC (L3+), SC (A3), ZEC (Z9), DASH (D5), LTC (L3++ and L5), DCR (DR3) and XMC (X3).
A dud year for Bitmain and their S17 Series
2019 was a year that most Bitmain fans – and even Bitmain – would like to forget! This was when they released their much anticipated S17 Series. Unfortunately, the initial excitement that surrounded their industry-leading 40 J/T efficiency rates was somewhat short-lived. The series quickly earned a reputation for its high failure rates, which were reported to be as much as 30%!
Despite claims that higher efficiency and profitability were all apart of the package with the S17 range, miners were blighted by hash board issues, hash board detection problems and program errors. Further power supply failures resulted in the ineffective heat management and ventilation that caused unreliable performance and endless disruptions.
Back with Bitmain S19 mining machines
Bitmain returned just a year later with a new series, and the Bitmain S19 range made up for lost time. The Bitmain S19 Series offered their highest efficiency rates yet, with rigs able to achieve 30 J/T with optimal performance. The Bitmain S19 Series initially featured five mining models in total, namely the Antminer S19 95TH/s, Bitmain S19 Pro 110TH/s, S19j 90 TH/s, S19j Pro 104TH/s, and T19 88TH/s. Later, the Bitmain S19 XP and Hydro models were also released.
With a failure rate of less than 2%, Bitmain S19 certainly delivered, with its higher hash rates and use of 7nm chips putting mining profitability back on track. With the launch of the Antminer S21 Series in March 2024, there is more to come. But, how will it compare to the specifications and success of the Bitmain S19 Series? Only time will tell!
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