What is the Bitaxe? 
Welcome to OSMU! If you’ve landed here wondering “what actually is a Bitaxe?” — this thread is for you. Ask anything in the replies, no question is too basic.
The short version
The Bitaxe is an open-source, standalone Bitcoin miner. It’s a small single-board device, about the size of your hand, that hashes the SHA256 algorithm just like the big industrial miners — only quieter, cooler, and built entirely in the open.
Every part of it is open: the schematics, the PCB, the firmware (AxeOS), the bill of materials. Anyone can build one, modify one, or improve the design. That’s the whole point.
How it works under the hood
A Bitaxe has two main brains:
-
An ASIC chip — a specialized Bitmain chip (BM1370 in the newest Gamma) designed to do one thing extremely well: SHA256 hashing. -
An ESP32-S3 — a tiny Wi-Fi-enabled microcontroller that runs AxeOS, manages the ASIC, talks to your mining pool, and serves the web UI.
You plug it in, connect it to Wi-Fi via its built-in web interface, point it at a pool (or solo mine via something like Public Pool), and it starts hashing.
What about hashrate?
Hashrate depends on which model you have. The original Bitaxe sat in the 250–500 GH/s range using around 15W, but newer generations have pushed performance significantly higher:
| Model | Chip | Approx. Hashrate |
|---|---|---|
| 100 / Max | BM1397 | ~400 GH/s |
| 200 / Ultra | BM1366 | ~500 GH/s |
| 400 / Supra | BM1368 | ~700 GH/s |
| 600 / Gamma | BM1370 | ~1.2 TH/s |
| 650 / Gamma Duo | 2× BM1370 | ~2.4 TH/s |
| 801 / Gamma Turbo | BM1370 (tuned) | higher still |
It’s a tiny fraction of what an Antminer S21 puts out — but that’s not really the point.
So why run one?
A Bitaxe isn’t about out-hashing industrial farms. People run them for reasons like:
-
Solo lottery mining — extremely long odds, but if you hit a block solo, the full reward is yours. -
Network decentralization — every independent miner makes Bitcoin a little more resilient. -
Learning & tinkering — it’s a fantastic way to understand how mining actually works, end to end. -
Supporting open-source hardware — voting with your wallet for transparent, hackable kit. -
Heat reuse / fun factor — quiet enough to sit on your desk, warm enough to take the chill off.
Getting started
A few useful starting points:
Got questions?
Drop them below 
— whether it’s “which model should I buy first?”, “how much electricity does it use?”, “can I actually win a block?”, or “what’s the difference between solo and pool mining?” — this is the place to ask.
Happy hashing! 