This week, Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) officially launched the Proto Rig, a modular bitcoin mining system designed for durability, alongside Proto Fleet, a free open-source management platform. The announcement, made at Core Scientific’s facility where operational Proto Rigs are already deployed, marks Block's entry into the competitive ASIC mining market under its Proto division, following its initial bitcoin mining chip sales.
End of Disposable Miners? Proto Rig Adds 10-Year Lifespan
Traditional mining rigs are often treated as 3–5 year consumables. Proto Rig replaces this disposable model with upgradeable infrastructure. Its modular design enables operators to swap individual hashboards instead of entire units, transforming miners into 10-year investments. The air-cooled unit (390mm W × 290mm H × 500mm D) houses nine swappable hashboards, delivering up to 819 TH/s (91 TH/s per board) at an efficiency of 14.1 J/TH.
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 system draws up to 12,000 watts from 208–240V power sources via three included 8-foot C20-to-C19 cables. 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.
Open-Source Management Platform Proto Fleet
Launched concurrently, Proto Fleet consolidates power-scaling, diagnostics, monitoring, and maintenance tools into a single open-source platform. Templeton noted 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. The firm emphasized that both products advance Block’s goal of decentralizing bitcoin mining: Proto Rig’s accessible design invites broader participation from builders, while Proto Fleet’s open-source model democratizes management capabilities.
Proto Rig is actively mining at Core Scientific’s Dalton facility 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. The launch challenges the status quo of ASIC hardware, potentially reducing miner dependency on single vendors and fostering a more open mining ecosystem.