Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) has unveiled Proto Rig, a first-of-its-kind modular bitcoin mining system, and Proto Fleet, a free and open-source fleet management software platform, marking a bold step toward decentralizing mining hardware, increasing operational efficiency, and boosting Bitcoin network resiliency.
The announcement took place at Core Scientific’s facility in Dalton, GA, where Proto Rigs are already deployed as part of its mining fleet. This launch represents the first two end-to-end releases from Proto, Block’s suite of bitcoin mining products and services, following its initial chip sale to Core Scientific.
Currently, bitcoin mining hardware faces significant inefficiencies. Most machines are single-use, prone to frequent breakdowns, expensive and time-consuming to repair, and difficult to upgrade. These issues lead to wasted power, poor space utilization, and shorter life cycles. On the software side, miners are often forced to piece together multiple tools to manage power scaling, monitoring, and diagnostics — creating a fragmented and costly operational environment.
Proto Rig aims to directly address these challenges by introducing a durable, modular design that transforms a historically disposable 3–5 year asset into a 10-year infrastructure investment. Operators can swap out individual hashboards instead of replacing entire units, cutting upgrade costs by 15–20% per cycle. In addition, tool-free, in-place repairs allow fixes to be completed in seconds rather than hours or days, significantly reducing downtime.
“Mining hardware hasn’t really changed in years,” said Thomas Templeton, Hardware Lead at Block. “Machines break often, are hard to repair, expensive and time-consuming to upgrade, and don’t make the most efficient use of power or space. With Rig, we set out to change all of that–and contribute to hardware decentralization in the process.”
With 1.5x more power per foot of rack space than traditional hardware, Proto Rig was built for compatibility with both modern and legacy infrastructure, to allow seamless integration without costly retrofits.
Alongside the hardware, Proto Fleet aims to deliver a comprehensive, open-source fleet management software that consolidates power-scaling, monitoring, diagnostics, and maintenance tools into a single intuitive platform.
“Mining hasn’t really caught up with advances in software more broadly,” Templeton noted. “We saw an opportunity to make mining software something modern that improves operational efficiency instead of unnecessarily complicating things.”
By making Proto Fleet free for anyone to use, Block is leveling the playing field for mining operators of all sizes, ensuring access to high-quality management tools without proprietary lock-ins.
Together, Proto Rig’s repairability, power efficiency, and backwards compatibility, paired with Proto Fleet’s streamlined, open-source software, could help redefine the economics and accessibility of bitcoin mining. This launch further underscores Block’s broader commitment to the Bitcoin ecosystem, alongside its other initiatives through Square, Cash App, Bitkey, and Spiral.
Learn more on Proto’s official website and catch the livestream for all the details.
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