In a market where Bitcoin mining is dominated by large-scale industrial operations, the Spanish company Bitronics emerges with a radical proposal: return mining power to homes.
Through open source, small and aesthetically designed devices, they seek not only educate about how the Bitcoin network worksbut also strengthen its decentralization.
“We bring mining to your home,” said the developer who identifies himself as “BitMaker” in an exclusive interview with CriptoNoticias during the “Accelerating Bitcoin” conference held in Asunción, Paraguay.
His goal, he explains, is “to bring a little more of what Bitcoin is to the physical world so that we can all touch it, experiment with it and learn much more.”
This movement began two and a half years ago with projects like “NerdMiner.”a low-cost desktop miner that anyone can assemble.
“You can implement it in your home from 3 euros,” said BitMaker, highlighting that its main function is pedagogical. This device, based on a simple electronic board, allows users to connect to a mining pool and understand the basics of proof of work (Proof-of-Work). Its impact has been such that “it is even being used right now to hold classes in El Salvador.”
The real qualitative leap came with Bitaxe, a project that catapulted the company’s vision. “Bitaxe is an open source miner for home, but it already uses ASICs, which are mining chips,” the developer explained. This breakthrough allowed them to create devices that, while small, actually contribute to the hashrate of the Bitcoin network.
Decentralization as a fundamental pillar
Beyond the educational factor or technological novelty, the mission of Bitronics responds to a growing concern in the ecosystem: the concentration of mining power. Large industrial farms, with thousands of high-powered equipment, dominate block production, which could pose a risk to the grid.
“If we looked at Mempool.space a year and a half ago, we could see which companies were mining the blocks,” BitMaker explained. The risk, according to him, is that if a couple of entities control more than 50% of the hashrate, “they could decide which transactions are or are not registered in the blockchain, and that ends up being unfavorable for everyone because logically we lose freedom.”
The solution they propose is foster a globally distributed mining network. By driving open source projects, knowledge becomes free and accessible, allowing anyone to build and operate their own equipment. “The obligation of these companies will be to be more honest with what they do, because if not, they will stop mining blocks, because we are going to be mining them at home,” he stated.
This philosophy focuses exclusively on bitcoin (BTC) and its network. When asked if they work with other minable digital assets, BitMaker was blunt: “We only focus on bitcoin because it is the currency we believe in.” He drew a direct parallel to other practices of individual sovereignty, such as self-custody of private keys or the operation of a full node.
A home gadget that secures the network
The average Bitronics customer, according to its representative, is a Bitcoin-savvy user who values both technology and aesthetics. The company has focused on creating “gadgets”, attractive products that blend naturally into a desk or living room.
“We believe that many times you can have a desk light that you use to create atmosphere. Why not give it one more attribute? And instead of just having a light, you have a small miner that also gives you that atmosphere, you are mining Bitcoin and contributing to the network.”
BitMaker, founder of Bitronics.
The company’s future looks promising. It is expected that By the end of this year or early next year, launch a domestic miner with a power of 30 to 40 terahashes per second. However, the most significant advance could come from new chip manufacturers.
The open hardware movement, driven by projects like Bitaxe, has begun to break the secrecy of large manufacturers. “Companies are starting to appear that want to release the chip or how they work,” BitMaker commented. This will open the door to greater competition and diversification in the ASIC market, and Bitronics plans to be at the center of that transformation. “Next year we will see miners open source “They are going to use chips from other companies,” he concluded with expectation.