On June 17, 2019, Chinese mining rig giant Bitmain Technologies announced the launch of a low-cost miner called the Antminer S9 Special Edition (SE). Priced at $350 per unit, the new device celebrates the company’s most popular product, the original S9. The first batch went on sale the following day, June 18.
Specifications and Pricing
The Antminer S9 SE mines using the SHA-256 algorithm, supporting both Bitcoin (BTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH). It delivers a hash rate of 16 TH/s with a power consumption of 1280W, yielding a power efficiency of 80 J/TH. The miner weighs approximately 4.5kg and produces around 76 dB of noise during operation. It contains three hash boards equipped with roughly 180 Bitmain-designed chips, though the company did not disclose the specific chip model.
To prevent hoarding, Bitmain has imposed a limit of 10 units per order. The first batch is expected to ship between July 21-31 on a first-paid-first-ship basis. Notably, U.S. residents face additional costs due to ongoing trade war tariffs: an extra 2.6% tax and a 25% import duty, making the effective price significantly higher than $350.
Market Positioning and Competitive Landscape
The S9 SE arrives after Bitmain released a series of next-generation miners such as the Antminer S17 Pro (53 TH/s), S17 (56 TH/s), T17 (40 TH/s), S15 (28 TH/s), and T15 (23 TH/s). Compared to these flagship models, the S9 SE is more comparable to the earlier S9 Hydro (18 TH/s) but without water cooling, positioning it as a low-cost entry-level device.
The current mining environment is extremely favorable. With Bitcoin prices above $9,000 and Bitcoin Cash above $400, even the original 2016 S9 (11.5 TH/s) can generate approximately $0.75 per day at an electricity cost of $0.13/kWh. According to a recent CoinShares report, older S9 units are being sold on the secondary market for as low as 700–800 yuan (about $150). Some miners have even reactivated older Antminer S7 models. In regions with ultra-low electricity costs, such as Sichuan, China ($0.01–0.04/kWh) and Iran ($0.006/kWh), lower-hashrate rigs can still be profitable.
Meanwhile, total network hashrate continues to climb. Data from Charts.Bitcoin.com shows the Bitcoin network at 54 EH/s and Bitcoin Cash at 2.5 EH/s, for a combined 56.5 EH/s. Despite rising competition, profit margins remain attractive. Bitmain’s S9 SE aims to capture budget-conscious solo miners and small operations who need affordable hardware to participate in the current bull market.
In summary, the Antminer S9 SE offers a practical 16 TH/s hash rate at a low price of $350, providing an accessible entry point for miners with limited capital. As the crypto market shows bullish signs, this special edition miner could become a strong contender in the mid-to-low-end segment.