Since the early days of Bitcoin, there have been attempts to develop specialized hardware for mining cryptocurrencies. These so-called “Application-Specific Integrated Circuits” (ASICs) are designed to do one thing and one thing only: mine a specific cryptocurrency as efficiently as possible.
ASICs for Bitcoin were first released in 2013, and since then, companies have released ASICs for a variety of other cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum. So, is there an ASIC for Ethereum?.
The answer is complicated. While there are companies that have developed ASICs for Ethereum, the consensus within the Ethereum community is that these devices are not currently viable for use on the Ethereum network.
This is due to a variety of factors, including the fact that Ethereum’s mining algorithm (known as Ethash) is designed to be resistant to ASICs.
If you’re interested in mining Ethereum, you’re better off using a standard computer with a graphics card (GPU). While GPUs are not as efficient as ASICs when it comes to mining, they can still be used to mine Ethereum (and other cryptocurrencies) effectively.
And, since GPUs can be used for other purposes (like gaming), you’ll be able to get more use out of them if you decide to stop mining at some point.
So, while there are companies selling Ethereum ASICs, they are not currently recommended for use on the Ethereum network. If you want to mine Ethereum, stick with a standard computer with a GPU.