This week, Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) officially entered the ASIC mining hardware arena with the launch of Proto Rig, a modular bitcoin mining system, and Proto Fleet, a free open-source management platform. Announced at Core Scientific’s facility where operational Proto Rigs are already deployed, the launch marks Block’s strategic push to decentralize mining infrastructure under its Proto division.
Modular Design Ends the Era of Disposable Miners
Thomas Templeton, Block’s Hardware Lead, criticized legacy equipment, stating that machines “break often, are hard to repair, expensive, and time-consuming to upgrade.” Proto Rig addresses these pain points with a tool-free, in-place repair design. Operators can swap individual hashboards instead of replacing entire units, transforming miners from 3–5 year assets into 10-year investments. The upgrade-cycle cost is reduced by 15–20%, and repair downtime shrinks from “hours, days, or weeks to seconds.”
The air-cooled miner measures 390mm wide, 290mm high, and 500mm deep. It houses nine swappable hashboards, each delivering 91 terahash per second (TH/s), for a total of up to 819 TH/s at an efficiency of 14.1 joules per terahash (J/TH). Power draw reaches up to 12,000 watts from 208–240V sources, supplied via three included 8-foot C20-to-C19 cables. The unit weighs 110 pounds (5.38 lbs per hashboard), fits standard racks, and supports immersion cooling retrofits. With 1.5× higher power density per rack foot compared to traditional miners, it maximizes existing facility layouts without costly retrofits. Hot-swappable components and backward compatibility with legacy infrastructure minimize operational disruptions.
Proto Fleet: Open-Source Management Unifies Operations
Concurrently, Block launched Proto Fleet, a free open-source platform that consolidates power scaling, diagnostics, monitoring, and maintenance tools into a single interface. Templeton noted that bitcoin mining software “hasn’t really caught up with advances in software more broadly,” complicating operations. Proto Fleet eliminates the need for fragmented third-party tools, enabling miners of all sizes to streamline workflows and maximize uptime. The software is freely available for anyone to use, furthering Block’s goal of democratizing mining management.
Strategic Ambition to Decentralize Mining
Block emphasized that both products advance its mission to decentralize bitcoin mining. Proto Rig’s accessible design invites broader participation from builders, while Proto Fleet’s open-source model makes sophisticated management capabilities widely available. “A big part of Proto’s effort to decentralize mining,” the release noted, highlighting that the software is free for all users. 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, signaling a potential shift in the mining hardware market toward sustainability and repairability.