Intel to Produce 'Blockchain Accelerator' Chips

It's been known for a while, but Intel confirmed it today in a press release:

Intel is investing in blockchain technology and will release a processor developed exclusively for efficient job management. And it does not appear that we are discussing a specific action, based on the words of Raja M. Koduri, an Intel executive who signs the text, from which it is determined that this is a far more extensive plan:

"Today, we at Intel declare our intention to contribute to the development of blockchain technologies, with a roadmap of low-power accelerators. Intel will commit to and promote an open and secure blockchain ecosystem and help advance this technology in a responsible and sustainable manner."

The statement is even more intriguing because, unlike other components and other hardware specifically designed to optimize hash rate, in this case, it is not intended as a solution specifically aimed at the cryptocurrency sector, but rather points to the blockchain ecosystem in general., with all that this technology can contribute in many fields, including not only ensuring operations but also reducing deadlines from weeks to minutes.

Another important part of Intel's statement is its emphasis on efficiency. One of the most prevalent critiques leveled at blockchain technology is that the most common systems today are all predicated on the ability to calculate. They have high expectations when it comes to energy consumption. Something that, without a doubt, complicates the general application of this technology, limiting its potential.

Intel's approach, as stated in the statement, places a high value on efficiency, so we can expect that the solutions that the company is already working on (though they are still in their early stages) have taken this point into account from the start and, as a result, we can expect them to provide significant improvement in this regard, with integrated into which the performance is adequate for the purposes for which it is used, but in a balanced way with the electrical consumption.

While the cryptocurrency community is likely to be among the first to warmly welcome this new processor, which Koduri refers to as a "blockchain accelerator," Intel appears to have invested in the technology as a whole and has huge hopes for it. We are not surprised, because, the first time we heard of Intel being associated with blockchains was in 2018.

Regarding the integrated one, Intel expects it to be available by the end of 2022, with new hashing techniques and ultra-low voltage circuitry. Koduri claims that this will result in 1,000 times greater performance per watt than current mining methods. During the International Solid-State Circuits Conference, the chip will be unveiled (ISCCC).

The conference will be held from February 20 to February 28, 2022, so we should hear more about it before the end of this month.