ASICs and Kaspa mining
Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) Kadena miners have been game changers in the Kadena Mining industry. Known for their high processing power, low energy consumption, and good energy efficiency, ASICs have made Kadena mining more efficient than CPUs and GPUs, which were earlier used for mining Kadena.
ASICs are built for specific mining algorithms and can efficiently mine algorithm-dedicated cryptocurrencies. Thus, miners can participate in large-scale mining operations and make significant profits. The more profitability will attract more Kaspa miners to the network, which in turn, facilitates the overall value of Kaspa.
Kaspa works on the kHeavyHash algorithm. Many ASIC miners are available in the market, ideally for kHeavyHash algorithm or Kaspa Mining, like MultMiner M2, Superscalar K10, IceRiver KAS KS1, IceRiver KAS KS2, and now the recent one is from Bitmain, Antminer KS3. We will compare the popular Kaspa miners later in this blog.
Bitmain Antminer KS3 Specifications
Bitmain Antminer KS3 is one of the best Kaspa ASIC Miners currently available in the crypto market. With an ultimate hash rate of 8.3Th/s and power consumption of 3188W, Antminer KS3 gives a power efficiency of 0.384j/Gh. Here is the detailed specification of Antminer KS3.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Bitmain |
| Model | Antminer KS3 (8.3Th) |
| Release | August 2023 |
| Size | 195 x 290 x 430mm |
| Weight | 16100g |
| Noise level | 75db |
| Fan(s) | 2 |
| Power | 3188W |
| Interface | RJ45 Ethernet 10/100M |
| Temperature | 5 – 40°C |
| Humidity | 10 – 90 % |
Comparing Bitmain Antminer KS3 with IceRiver Kaspa Miner
IceRiver KAS KS1 and IceRiver KAS KS2 are popular in the market for Kaspa mining. However, of late, IceRiver has received many negative reviews online from miners worldwide. Some online reviewers even call it a fake company. Many YouTubers have uploaded videos sharing their negative experiences with IceRiver Kaspa Miner. Even many people shared their negative reviews regarding IceRiver on Reddit as well.
Though controversial and the internet has insufficient proof, we can take the word from reliable sources. For instance, the popular YouTube channel, Red Panda Mining, says not to pre-order Kaspa miners from IceRiver as most orders are not delivered on time. So miners can’t risk their money by buying machines from illegitimate companies like IceRiver.
Amidst all the downturns happening with Kaspa mining, Bitmain’s news on the Antminer KS3 launch has rekindled the interests of Kaspa miners. Miners are curious to know more about the Antminer KS3’s features, and functionalities. Bitmain has revealed the price of Antminer KS3 and even started accepting pre-sale registrations. Here is the official tweet from Bitmain:
Here is a glimpse of Antminer KS3 from Bitmain.
Bitmain has also announced all the orders will be shipped from August 2023. However, the launch of Antminer is bittersweet for Kaspa miners as they expect a drop in profits during the initial days of Antminer’s release due to improved hash rate and mining difficulty.
Let’s quickly compare the features of Bitmain Antminer KS3 with IceRiver KS2 and IceRiver KS3 for better insights:
Bitmain Antminer KS3
| Manufacturer | Bitmain |
| Model | Antminer KS3 (8.3Th) |
| Release | August 2023 |
| Size | 195 x 290 x 430mm |
| Weight | 16100g |
| Noise level | 75db |
| Fan(s) | 2 |
| Power | 3188W |
| Interface | RJ45 Ethernet 10/100M |
| Temperature | 5 – 40°C |
| Humidity | 10 – 90 % |
IceRiver KS2
| KAS Hashrate | 2TH/S(±10%) |
| Wall Power | 1200W/h(±10%) |
| Specifications | 2TH 1200W |
| Dimension(with packaging) | 490×300×400(mm) |
| Dimension | 370×195×290(mm) |
| Gross Weight | 14.9kg |
| Net Weight | 12.5kg |
| Connection | ethernet |
| Voltage Input | 170-300V AC |
| Operating Temp | 0~35 ℃ |
IceRiver KS3
| KAS Hashrate | 8TH/S(±10%) |
| Wall Power | 3200W/h(±10%) |
| Specifications | 8TH 3200W |
| Dimension(with packaging) | 490×300×400(mm) |
| Dimension | 370×195×290(mm) |
| Gross Weight | 17.6kg |
| Net Weight | 14.7kg |
| Connection | ethernet |
| Voltage Input | 170-300V AC |
| Operating Temp | 0~35 ℃ |
| Reliability | Customer views | Profitability | |
| IceRiver Kaspa Miner | Newcomer in the market | Not favorable | Not sure |
| Bitmain Antminer KS3 | Well-established and reputed brand | Proven record | Profit might fall due to mining difficulty |
Also Read : Kaspa Mining Explained
Future of Kaspa Mining
So, what will be the price of Kaspa coins (KAS) and the future of Kaspa Mining? Will the launch of Bitmain Antminer KS3 impact the Kaspa mining? The general expectation is that the mining difficulty will increase, affecting profitability. However, miners have to wait and watch. Now, let’s analyze the historical price of Kaspa over the years. That will give an insight and better understanding of the Kaspa mining.
Source: Coinlore
The graph depicts that the Kaspa price has been steady but is currently facing ups and downs. Like any other cryptocurrency, Kaspa is also volatile. Thus, miners should closely watch the market, follow the trends and play safe when it comes to Kaspa mining.
Kaspa Mining Difficulties
Kaspa follows the Proof of Work (PoW) mechanism like most cryptocurrencies. In PoW-based cryptocurrencies, the miners should solve complex cryptographic puzzles to find new blocks and generate new coins. Each cryptocurrency has an algorithm that regulates the difficulty level for miners to mine new blocks. That is often termed as mining difficulty.
The mining difficulty varies based on the number of miners participating in the Kaspa mining. The more miners, the more the mining difficulty. Popular cryptocurrencies often attract more miners due to increased profit margins. That, in turn, increases the hash rate and the mining difficulty. Now, after the launch of ASIC Kaspa Miner like Antminer KS3, more miners will participate in Kaspa mining, increasing the mining difficulty while decreasing the profit margins.
Though mining difficulty looks like a barrier to receiving rewards, it is not that bad. For instance, the more the mining difficulty, the more challenging it becomes for cyber attackers to hack the network. Moreover, the network raises and lowers the mining difficulty, generating the blocks steadily. Hence Kaspa miners can join a Kaspa mining pool to overcome the mining difficulty. You can collaborate with other miners to get more computing power, solve complex puzzles faster, and mine new coins quicker.
