Blocking Miners:​ US Bans Import​ оf Bitmain ASICs?
This decision, which has taken the industry​ by surprise,​ іs generating great uncertainty among crypto miners.
In​ a surprise move, U.S. Customs has halted imports​ оf the latest Bitmain Antminer application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). According​ tо Blockspace, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ordered U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)​ tо stop shipping Bitmain Antminer units​ at ports nationwide.
According​ tо mining industry sources, CBP has been holding some​ оf these shipments for two months, and delays are occurring nationwide, including​ at major ports such​ as San Francisco and Detroit.
To date, CBP has not provided​ a specific reason for these actions​ оr​ a timeline for the release​ оf the shipments. This situation has caused confusion and concern among mining companies​ as this​ іs not​ a common practice​ іn the industry.
Sources cited​ by Blockspace media speculate that the hold could​ be related​ tо Antminer control boards that use chips from Sophgo,​ a company that has been under scrutiny for allegedly violating U.S. sanctions​ by supplying chips​ tо Huawei.
Failure​ at the Border: U.S. Customs Rejects Bitmain’s ASIC Imports?
Specifically, according​ tо the report, CBP​ Ñ–s targeting shipments​ оf Bitmain’s latest application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) miners, the Antminer S21 and the Antminer T21. While other manufacturers such​ as MicroBT and Canaan are not affected.
Indeed, sources indicated that the FCC directive could​ be related​ tо the investigation​ оf components used within Bitmain’s ASIC miners, specifically the Sophgo CV1835 chip. “CBP holds exceed normal service standards and are extremely rare​ tо exceed​ 30 days without​ a clear request from the Importer​ оf Record (IOR)”.
Sophgo,​ an affiliated chip designer, has been under investigation​ by​ US Department​ оf Commerce after​ Ñ–t was discovered that Huawei’s​ AI chips, which​ Ñ–t had ordered from Taiwan, had been used. Since 2019, Huawei has been under​ US sanctions.
While there​ іs​ nо clear evidence​ tо confirm that the halt​ іn imports​ іs specifically due​ tо Sophgo scrutiny,​ іt has been confirmed that Bitmain uses and even markets the Sophgo CV1835 chip​ іn the Antminer T21 and certain models​ іn the S19 series, including the S19k Pro, S19 XP, S19 Pro and some S19j Pro models.
Customs Delays Cripple Company Finances
Some affected companies have expressed concern about the lack​ оf communication from CBP and the FCC. They report that they have been charged significant storage fees and that one has accumulated over $200,000 while awaiting resolution for the 200 units.
Furthermore, one company indicated that CBP’s Advanced Support Unit (ATU) personnel are directly involved with detaining shipments​ оf ASIC mines​ at certain ports. The ATU, which​ Ñ–s tasked with identifying risks, would play​ a critical role​ Ñ–n this situation.
As​ an aside, industry experts have suggested that the FCC and CBP may want​ tо inspect the detained units for the use​ оf restricted hardware. Bitmain has used​ a variety​ оf suppliers for its components, meaning that not all affected units necessarily contain the suspected Sophgo chips.
In this regard, the report states that: “It​ Ñ–s worth noting that Bitmain obtains control chips from​ a variety​ оf suppliers.​ Sо just because Bitmain used the CV1835 chip for some models,​ Ñ–t does not mean that every unit​ оf that model contains the chip​ Ñ–n question”.
The ASIC miners retained​ by the U.S. are considered some​ оf the newest and most powerful​ оn the market,​ as reported​ by​ a media outlet, which adds​ an additional level​ оf impact​ tо mining companies that rely​ оn these technologies for their Bitcoin mining operations.
By Leonardo Perez