Mining Hardware Discounts Signal Industry Struggles Amid Turbulence
Bitmain, the leading manufacturer of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) used in cryptocurrency mining, has initiated significant price reductions across multiple generations of its mining hardware. This move reflects the widespread financial challenges faced by the sector, driven by declining profitability and a difficult economic environment for miners.
The company is offering enticing bundle deals and discounts on its popular S19 and S21 series, which previously commanded higher prices earlier in 2025 during Bitcoin’s rally. According to reports from TheMinerMag, even flagship models like the S21 immersion-cooled ASICs are now available at discounts of about $7 per terahash-per-second, with some hardware packages being sold through auctions where miners can “name their own price.”
This trend occurs against the backdrop of a severe downturn in mining profitability. The hashprice, which estimates revenue per unit of computing power, recently plummeted to a multi-year low of approximately $35 per terahash/second per day. Industry analysts consider a margin of $40 per TH/s/day as the breakeven point for most operations, forcing many miners to consider shutting down unless market conditions improve.
This declining profitability is compounded by broader economic factors, including rising energy costs, regulatory pressures, and supply chain disruptions. The industry remains fiercely competitive, even during periods of favorable market conditions, but current market dynamics have pushed many operators to the brink, with some considering idle status or exiting the market altogether.
Mining companies are increasingly pivoting toward renewable energy sources to mitigate operational costs following the Bitcoin halving in April 2024, which cut the block subsidy in half to 3.125 BTC. While rising Bitcoin prices traditionally offset reduced rewards, 2025 proved otherwise, with Bitcoin’s value dropping from over $126,000 in October to lows near $80,000 by November.
Currently trading around 7% below its starting point for 2025 and nearly 20% beneath the January high of over $109,000, Bitcoin’s declining price further strains mining profitability, highlighting the industry’s ongoing crisis. Industry leaders forecast significant consolidation and existential challenges for miners if current trends persist, with some experts predicting the sector could face severe downturns in the coming years.
