Beijing-based bitcoin mining hardware manufacturer Bitmain Technologies has launched the new Antminer S9. The S9 is the first 16nm commercially available bitcoin mining device. Prior to today’s S9 launch, only private mining firms had access to 16nm-based bitcoin mining devices.
According to the order page, the S9 currently retails for $2100 per unit, and there is a 5-unit cap for each user on the first production batch. Bitmain has also disabled bulk-order discounts due to the limited production run of the S9. The company also states that the price of the S9 is not static and will be adjusted in the future according to numerous metrics:
“The price of bitcoin mining machines must be adjusted frequently according to many factors, including BTC/USD exchange rate, the network difficulty, and expected difficulty increase.”
While Bitmain Technologies is now accepting orders for the new miners, the company plans to start shipping the devices on the 12th of June. The S9 is capable of producing 14TH/s and its power consumption is advertised at 1375W. The new miner is rated at a power efficiency of 0.098 J/GH, which Bitmain says is “the most efficient machine available to the bitcoin mining public.”
“This Antminer S9 is not only the first 16nm miner for retail use but using less than half the energy per gigahash of the S7, but it is also our most powerful miner to enter mass production.”
At the current difficulty level of the Bitcoin network, assuming a 25BTC block reward: the S9 will produce approximately 1.0752 BTC per month. However, the block reward will be dropping to 12.5 sometime in July, which will effectively lengthen the time it takes for miners to recoup their investment in the S9.
The S9 will be shipped standalone and miners will be required to provide their own power supply unit.
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