BitAxe is a open-source hardware designed to democratize Bitcoin mining, making it accessible to everyone. With a focus on diversity, decentralization, and community collaboration, BitAxe offers options for both solo and pool mining. This article explores various BitAxe models, including BitAxe Max, BitAxe Ultra, BitAxe Hex, and BitAxe Supra. We also address the challenges faced by BitAxe miners and celebrate the milestone of BitAxe miners hitting block 853742.
Diversity & Decentralization
Open-Source
Solo and Pool Mining
DIY Kit
BitAxe Models
BitAxe Max
BitAxe Ultra
BitAxe Hex
BitAxe Supra
Challenges Faced by BitAxe Miners – PREMIUM content
Unexpected Jackpot for Solo Miner – PREMIUM content
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Diversity & Decentralization
BitAxe is designed to democratize mining, making it accessible to everyone. Developed with a focus on diversity in the mining ecosystem, decentralization, and community collaboration, BitAxe enhances the security of the Bitcoin network. It offers a cost-effective solution for enthusiasts, providing a low barrier of entry for new miners.
Open-Source
BitAxe is a fully open-source hardware Bitcoin ASIC miner. Its open-source firmware, AxeOS, offers complete control. The BitAxe project is available on GitHub, where you can explore the design files, firmware, and software that power the miner. This transparency fosters a collaborative environment where improvements and innovations are shared.
Solo and Pool Mining
You can adjust settings and monitor performance via a web interface. BitAxe features an onboard ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 WiFi microcontroller, enabling direct connection to mining pools over WiFi. This eliminates the need for an external computer, simplifying the setup and reducing overall costs and energy consumption. BitAxe supports both solo and pool mining, allowing users to choose their preferred method. With its autotune feature, BitAxe automatically adjusts power, heat, and efficiency settings, optimizing performance without constant manual intervention.
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DIY Kit
You can purchase an assembled BitAxe miner from various webshops, but there are also BitAxe DIY Kits available. These kits are meticulously organized to ensure a smooth building process. Each part is clearly labelled, and the kit includes easy-to-follow instructions.
BitAxe Models
The BitAxes come with a 0.91″ SSD1306 OLED I2C display module, which allows you to monitor your mining progress in real-time. It has a 5V DC power supply with a 2.1/5.5mm barrel jack connector. The BitAxe series features models like the BitAxe Max, BitAxe Ultra, BitAxe Hex, and the flagship BitAxe Supra.
BitAxe Max
The BitAxe Max is powered by the BM1397 ASIC chip. The chip that Bitmain used in the S17 series. The max series boasts a hashrate of 400 – 450 GH/s and runs at an efficiency of 0.03 J/GH or 30 J/TH.
BitAxe Ultra
The BitAxe Ultra includes one BM1366 ASIC chip, the same chip used in the Bitmain Antminer S19. With an efficiency of 22 J/TH, the ultra is more efficient than the actual Antminer S19. The 204 Ultra reaches a hashrate up to 550 GH/s.
BitAxe Hex
The BitAxe Hex is a model in the BitAxe series designed for scalability. Just like the Ultra series, it uses the BM1366 ASIC chip, known for its balance of performance and power consumption. The Hex model is ideal for larger mining operations, offering optimized performance for setups with multiple units.
BitAxe Supra
The BitAxe Supra utilizes one BM1368 ASIC chip, also found in the Bitmain Antminer S21, known for its outstanding efficiency with a power consumption of only 17.5 J/TH. This positions the BitAxe Supra as one of the market’s most energy-efficient miners on the market. With a hashrate of 733 GH/s it is the most powerful BitAxe miner on the market.
Challenges Faced by BitAxe Miners
Next to the usual challenges miners face such as Bitcoin’s price fluctuations, increases in mining difficulty, there are specific obstacles to consider when buying a BitAxe miner.
Open-Source Nature: As an ongoing project, BitAxe allows for continuous improvement and customization, but it may also contain bugs or vulnerabilities that could impact performance or security.
Compatibility Issues: Some mining pools or software may not be designed to work with BitAxe. It’s important to research and test your setup thoroughly to ensure compatibility.
Technical Skill Requirement: Assembling and operating the BitAxe miner requires technical knowledge. The process can be complex, and mistakes could lead to hardware damage or suboptimal performance.
Low Probability of Finding a Block: When solo mining with a miner that has a hash power which is only a fraction of a regular Bitcoin ASIC miner, the chances of an individual miner adding a new block to the blockchain are extremely low.
Despite these challenges, many users find the benefits and ethos of BitAxe—such as its efficiency and alignment with decentralization principles—make it a worthwhile endeavour.
Unexpected Jackpot for Solo Miner
According to a post on X from Altair Technology, a vendor of Bitcoin mining equipment, a device with a hashrate of 500 gigahashes per second (GH/s) successfully mined block 853742 on July 24. Given the price of Bitcoin at the time, the block was valued at around $206,000. This unexpected achievement by a 500GH Bitcoin mining device, earning $200K in BTC, has astonished the entire mining community.
The network’s overall hashrate at block height 853742 was 552.49 EH/s. This is nearly 1.1 billion times more than the BitAxe device that mined the block. There is a 1 in 1.1 billion chance that such a device successfully mines a block.
