Bitmain Unveils Antminer S23 Hydro with 9.7 J/TH Efficiency
At the World Digital Mining Summit, Bitmain introduced its new mining rig, the Antminer S23 Hydro, set for release in early 2026. Key features include:
- Energy efficiency of 9.7 joules per terahash (J/TH)
- Improvement over earlier models, which consumed approximately 1,200 J/TH
Despite these advancements, analysts from TheMinerMag highlighted challenges in the mining economy. Key points include:
- Previous efficiency upgrades coincided with bear markets, allowing miners to prepare for bitcoin halving events
- The current market sees bitcoin prices above $100,000, but miner profitability remains low
- Hashprice fell below $39/PH/s earlier this year, leading to reduced margins and halted hashrate expansion plans for large firms
- The S23 Hydro may be used to upgrade existing fleets rather than expand capacity, potentially improving overall power efficiency of the Bitcoin network
- Future profitability hinges on hashprice recovery to pre-2024 halving levels around $100/PH/s
The launch signifies a shift towards efficiency gains focused on survival amid tight margins rather than growth.