Cryptocurrency mining involves using a computer, or several computers, to validate transactions on a blockchain. Technically, these computers solve cryptographic equations and record data in a digital ledger. The more computers solving equations, the faster the blockchain can validate transactions. When miners verify the hashes of unconfirmed blocks, they receive a reward for each verified hash. Mining can be energy and computationally-intensive, requiring specialized hardware and crypto-mining software. Among the most mined (and most profitable) cryptocurrencies are Bitcoin (BTC), Monero (XMR), Ravencoin (RVN), and Dogecoin (DOGE). Ether (ETH) used to be part of this list but Ethereum has recently shifted …

On Monday, semiconductor manufacturing titan Intel unveiled its new Bitcoin (BTC) mining chip, Blockscale. The application-specific integrated circuit, or ASIC, hardware is designed to operate on proof-of-work blockchains using SHA-256 encryption. As told by Intel, Blockscale will have a hash rate of up to 580 gigahash per second (or 0.58 terahash per second, TH/s), consuming between 4.8 to 22.7 watts of power, and having an energy efficiency of up to 26 joules per terahash (J/TH). Each chip can be combined and merged into a single mining unit, increasing its output with a maximum of 256 integrated circuits per chain. Blockscale …

Publicly traded crypto mining company HIVE Blockchain Technology has signed a deal to buy ASIC chips from semiconductor manufacturer Intel that will be used in their new custom mining devices. HIVE has arranged for the new devices to be made by a third-party custom design manufacturer that will integrate the Intel chips into new air-cooled Bitcoin (BTC) mining devices. HIVE expects that the new devices will nearly double its aggregate Bitcoin mining hash rate from 1.9 to 3.8 Exahashes per second (Eh/s). They will begin arriving ready for use starting in the second half of 2022. Intel stated in its …

Computer chip manufacturing giant Intel Corporation shared details of a new mining chip that will be coupled with a high-performance 3,600 Watt miner with the ultimate goal of improving Bitcoin (BTC) mining efficiency. Intel revealed its second-generation BTC mining setup during the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) 2022, a conference dedicated to the electronics and chip manufacturing industry. According to the company, Bonanza mine (BMZ2) is an ultra-low-voltage energy-efficient Bitcoin mining ASIC that can deliver 40 Terahashes per second (40 TH/s) performance. As Cointelegraph previously reported, Intel’s patent related to “high-performance Bitcoin Mining” dates back to November 2018, which …

On Friday, Raja M. Koduri, senior VP of accelerated computing systems and graphics group at Intel, declared their intent to contribute to the development of blockchain technologies. This begins with introducing energy-efficient crypto mining accelerators to be released this year. Previously, Intel had announced it would unveil the next generation of Application-Specific Integrated Circuit mining machines at the next International Solid-State Circuits Conference later this month. The company would also form a new International Solid-State Circuits Conference within Koduri's division. It would be responsible for building custom silicon platforms for optimizing blockchain mining performance and for the design of supercomputers …

This week’s Crypto Biz explores Microsoft’s Activision purchase, the new partnership between Coinbase and Mastercard and the latest funding news from the world of crypto. For a comprehensive breakdown of business developments over the last week, register for the full newsletter below. Microsoft enters the metaverse with Activision purchase It’s no secret that Microsoft has been eyeing its entry into the metaverse ever since Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook to Meta. The company found its perfect entry this week by acquiring gaming giant Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. Satya Nadella, who has served as Microsoft’s CEO since 2014, described video games as …

Over the course of 2020 and 2021, the cryptocurrency industry has attracted a notable amount of mainstream attention. In line with the growing awareness of the crypto industry, Intel, a tech company with history dating back to the 1960s, revealed an investment in crypto exchange Coinbase. Although a number of specifics remain unknown such as when the purchase occurred, required Q2 financial disclosure from Intel showed the outfit carrying 3,014 COIN shares at Q2’s conclusion, according to a Friday article from Barron’s. “Intel was obligated to disclose the stake to the Securities and Exchange Commission because it owns more than …

Since the summer of 2020, decentralized exchanges (DEX) have been all the rage and in 2021 developers and investors continue to flock to the sector due to the ease of listing and buying into new projects. While the method has proved fruitful for many projects, the price performance for iExec RLC (RLC), a blockchain-based decentralized cloud computing network that recently listed on several centralized exchanges, shows that CEX listings still carry the most weight when it comes to initiating price movements. Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that the price of RLC has surged 430% to $16.50 since …

Amid a major bullish trend on cryptocurrency markets, Bitcoin’s (BTC) market capitalization is outstripping some major publicly traded companies like Intel and Coca-Cola. Following a bullish market in late July 2020, Bitcoin’s market cap saw a significant increase to cross a $200 billion threshold. As of press time, the market cap of the largest cryptocurrency accounts for more than $207 billion, down from a $222 billion intraday-high recorded earlier today, according to data from Coin360. As such, Bitcoin is currently worth more than shares of major global companies like Intel and Coca-Cola in terms of market capitalization. On July 31, …

A vulnerability has reportedly been discovered in Intel’s Software Guard eXtensions (SGX) allowing passwords, encrypted keys, and other sensitive data to be siphoned from a computer’s memory. On March 10, computer researcher Daniel Gruss uploaded a video to YouTube describing how the proof-of-concept attack, dubbed a “Load Value Injection [LVI],” can be used to steal sensitive data from Intel SGXs — including encrypted keys for cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets. The attack is significant as SGX processors are designed to provide secure storage sensitive stored within a computer's memory, even when in the presence of a malicious operating system. LVI discloses …

The Singaporean government-backed blockchain platform Tribe has helped raise another $15.7 million for participating companies through its ecosystem. In a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Dec. 2, Tribe Accelerator revealed that a total of $28 million had been raised to date to support start-ups from around the world attempting to solve real-world problems with blockchain technology. The first group of startups reportedly raised over $12.2 million within three months. Managing partner of Tribe Accelerator Ng Yi Ming commented: “Another successful round of fundraising underscores the relevance of blockchain technology in solving real-world problems. Every idea or solution shared during …

The Token Taxonomy Initiative (TTI) has unveiled a framework to standardize the construction of tokens. The initiative has made its Token Taxonomy Framework (TTF) available to the public, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Nov. 4. The platform-neutral framework will purportedly provide a set of definitions for tokens in various implementations. The TTI includes a common set of concepts, definitions of tokens and their use-cases across industries, a classification hierarchy, a composition framework and other standards. The TTI’s members include major tech, financial, software and blockchain firms including Microsoft, Intel, IBM, ConsenSys, EY, R3 and JPMorgan. The …