Ethiopia Said to See Bitcoin Mining Soar to 600MW

Ethiopia is said to have experienced an increase in bitcoin hashrate, with 600 megawatts (MW) dedicated to bitcoin miners now operating in the country.

Ethan Vera, co-founder and chief operating officer of the mining service firm Luxor, recently toured multiple bitcoin mines in the Horn of Africa with a group of mining industry peers and Ethiopian government officials.

“Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) confirmed their support for the industry and noted that there are currently 600MW of operational miners, with several hundred more MW expected to be energized this year,” Vera wrote in a thread on X. EEP is a state-owned electric power supplier and grid operator in Ethiopia.

Vera noted that miners in Ethiopia predominantly use mid-generation mining rigs, with the Antminer S19J Pro and Avalon A1346 being the most popular models. These rigs have a hashrate capacity of about 100 TH/s per unit with an efficiency of 30 J/TH. “Given the low power cost, it’s an excellent location to utilize this class of machine,” Vera added.

A power capacity of 600 MW with S19J Pro or equivalent models indicates a hashrate capacity of about 19 EH/s in the country, which would constitute roughly 2.5% of bitcoin’s total network hashrate.

Bloomberg reported earlier this year on the rise of hashrate in Ethiopia, noting an increasing interest from Chinese investors and participants seeking opportunities abroad following China’s 2021 ban on bitcoin mining.