development:obelisk

Obelisk

The Obelisk is an ASIC miner for Siacoin. Its purpose is to further decentralize Sia's mining network by distributing mining hardware in a controlled manner. The reasons for developing an ASIC are explained on the Sia blog in full detail.

Announcement

See the Obelisk Teaser page for details on the Obelisk's initial announcement.

Pre-Orders

The Obelisk website is currently accepting pre-orders. The cost is $2,499 USD each (or the equivalent in BTC, ±5%). As of August 2017, approximately 1,500 units have been sold. There is a cap of 4,000 units for the initial batch of Obelisks. Obelisks are promised to ship by June 2018, though they may ship sooner if completed earlier. To pre-order an Obelisk, visit this page.

Pre-Order Bonuses

Pre-ordering a first generation Obelisk will ensure six weeks of mining without competition from future Obelisk batches in order to help guarantee return on investment - future batches will not ship for at least six weeks from the first batch, providing a period of exclusive mining. Pre-orders will also receive a $250 coupon towards the purchase of an Obelisk in a future batch.

Specifications

Specifications are still somewhat vague as the hardware is still being designed, but the following specifications have been provided: Obelisk Specifications Chip Full Custom 28NM ASIC Hashrate 800 GH/s or greater Power Consumption 500W or less Noise 65 DBA or less Weight 20 pounds or less Power Supply Included

Return on Investment

At the maximum of 4,000 Obelisks sold, expected Siacoin yields are 150,000 SC/month. At a price of $0.01/SC, a return on investment would be realized within two months. If fewer than 4,000 Obelisks are sold, return on investment would be realized more quickly.

Obsolescence of GPU Mining