Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) today officially launched the Proto Rig, a modular bitcoin mining system designed for long-term durability, alongside Proto Fleet, a free open-source management platform. The announcement, made at Core Scientific’s facility where Proto Rigs are already operational, marks Block’s strategic push into the competitive ASIC mining hardware market and its commitment to decentralizing mining infrastructure.
Modular Design Ends Disposable Miners
The Proto Rig replaces the traditional “disposable” model of ASIC miners with an upgradeable, repairable architecture. Instead of replacing entire units when components fail, miners can swap individual hashboards. Thomas Templeton, Block’s Hardware Lead, criticized legacy equipment: “Machines break often, are hard to repair, expensive, and time-consuming to upgrade.” Proto Rig’s tool-free, in-place repairs reduce downtime from “hours, days, or weeks to seconds,” while lowering upgrade-cycle costs by 15–20%.
The air-cooled unit houses nine swappable hashboards, delivering up to 819 terahash per second (TH/s) (91 TH/s per board) at an efficiency of 14.1 joules per terahash (J/TH). It draws up to 12,000 watts from 208–240V power sources via three 8-foot C20-to-C19 cables. Measuring 390mm W × 290mm H × 500mm D and weighing 110 pounds (5.38 lbs per hashboard), it fits standard racks and supports immersion cooling retrofits. With 1.5× higher power density per rack foot than traditional miners, it maximizes existing facility layouts without costly retrofits. Backward compatibility and hot-swappable components minimize operational disruptions.
Open-Source Management with Proto Fleet
Launched concurrently, Proto Fleet consolidates power-scaling, diagnostics, monitoring, and maintenance tools into a single open-source platform. Templeton noted that bitcoin mining software “hasn’t really caught up with advances in software more broadly,” complicating operations. The free software eliminates the need for fragmented third-party tools, enabling miners of all sizes to streamline workflows and maximize uptime. Crucially, Proto Fleet is available for anyone to use, democratizing management capabilities previously locked behind proprietary solutions.
Toward Decentralized Mining Infrastructure
Block frames both products as key steps toward decentralizing bitcoin mining. Proto Rig’s accessible design invites broader participation from builders and independent miners, while Proto Fleet’s open-source model ensures that mining management is not controlled by a few large players. Proto Rig is actively mining at Core Scientific’s Dalton facility, serving as a live proof-of-concept. While unit pricing remains undisclosed, Block positions the system as a long-term infrastructure investment rather than a disposable tool.