ASIC miner manufacturers: Bitmain, MicroBT, Canaan and others
The ASIC miner market is ruled by China's Bitmain (the Antminer brand); on Bitcoin its main competitors are MicroBT (Whatsminer) and Canaan (Avalon). Beyond Bitcoin, smaller specialists are strong: IceRiver for Kaspa, Goldshell and iBeLink for Blake2b-Sia, ElphaPex, Fluminer and VolcMiner for Litecoin and Dogecoin. The manufacturer determines the firmware, the availability of parts and how easily the machine can be repaired.
Overview of ASIC miner manufacturers
| Manufacturer | Headquarters, founded | Brand and series | Algorithms | Example machine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitmain | China, 2013 | Antminer S, L, Z, D, T | SHA-256, Scrypt, Equihash, X11 and others | Antminer S21++, S23 Hyd, L9, Z15 Pro |
| MicroBT | China (Shenzhen), 2016 | Whatsminer M | SHA-256 | Whatsminer M60 series |
| Canaan | China / Singapore, 2013, listed on Nasdaq | Avalon (e.g. Q, Mini) | SHA-256 | Avalon Q, Avalon Mini 3 |
| IceRiver | China | KS, AE and others | kHeavyHash (Kaspa), Alephium, Aleo | IceRiver KS7 |
| Goldshell | China, 2017 | SC, XT-BOX and others | Blake2b-Sia, SHA3x (Tari) and others | Goldshell SC6 SE |
| iBeLink | China, 2018 | BM-S, BM-K | Blake2b-Sia, Kadena and others | iBeLink BM-S3+ |
| ElphaPex | China, 2024 | DG1, DG Home | Scrypt | ElphaPex DG1+, DG Home 1 |
| Fluminer | – | T3, L1–L3 | SHA-256, Scrypt | Fluminer T3, L1 Pro, L2 |
| VolcMiner | – | D1 | Scrypt | VolcMiner D1 Mini |
A dash means we were unable to reliably verify the year and headquarters.
The big three of Bitcoin mining
Bitmain has the widest range: machines for several algorithms, in air-cooled, water-cooled (Hydro) and immersion versions. Its Antminers have the most support from alternative firmware, and parts are easiest to find for them. MicroBT was founded by a former Bitmain engineer and focuses only on SHA-256, i.e. mainly Bitcoin. Canaan (founded 2013) is one of the oldest manufacturers and today also scores with home models – the Avalon Mini 3 doubles as an electric heater.
Altcoin specialists
Smaller manufacturers often come out with the first ASIC for a new coin. IceRiver made its name with Kaspa miners (the KS series), Goldshell with small “boxes” for home mining, and ElphaPex, Fluminer and VolcMiner with quiet machines for Litecoin and Dogecoin. The advantage is a head start; the disadvantage is a smaller service network and shorter firmware support.
Who makes the chips themselves
Bitmain, MicroBT and Canaan design chips but do not have their own silicon fabs. They outsource production to external semiconductor foundries. Bitmain chips (the BM series, e.g. BM1370) are also used by open-source miners – for example, the Bitaxe Gamma 601 has the same chip as the Antminer S21 Pro.
How to find out when a model was released
- Check the model's official page or the manufacturer's announcement.
- Go by the generation in the name: with Bitmain S9 → S19 → S21 → S23 – the higher the number, the newer and more efficient.
- For a specific unit, check the serial number label – from it, the manufacturer or seller can trace the batch and warranty status.
- In the miner's web interface you will find the firmware version and build date.
Why the manufacturer matters
The manufacturer decides which firmware and management software you can use, how quickly you can get a replacement hashboard and how much you will sell the machine for later. In our service centre in Prague we repair miners from all major manufacturers.
Related terms
- What is an ASIC miner – what it consists of and why it is tied to an algorithm.
What next
A comparison of specific models by hashrate and efficiency can be found in the guide How to choose the right ASIC or directly in the ASIC miners category.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Which ASIC miner manufacturer is the best?
Does Bitmain also make the chips itself?
Are machines from smaller manufacturers worse?
How do I find out when my miner was made?
This text was prepared with the help of AI. Facts, figures and procedures were checked by Yegor.
