ICERIVER is taking a different route into the next phase of cryptocurrency mining hardware: instead of limiting ASIC development to its own machines, the company is bringing its chip-customization team to Korea Blockchain Week 2026 to pitch complete algorithm-specific mining hardware development to outside projects.

ICERIVER, the mining-hardware brand of Nasdaq-listed BGIN Blockchain, announced September 23 that its ASIC customization engineers will be at KBW in Seoul from September 30 through October 1. The team is offering work that spans chip design, hardware optimization and manufacturing coordination.

The custom-ASIC business has already shipped 3,000 machines

The engineering service is more than a concept. BGIN launched the business in May and said its first customer project produced an initial batch of 3,000 customized proof-of-work mining machines. Of those, 2,400 were delivered directly to the customer and 600 were allocated for retail distribution through ICERIVER.

That model could expand the number of proof-of-work networks able to obtain purpose-built silicon. BGIN says customers can engage the company for ASIC design, system integration, hardware optimization, manufacturing coordination, validation and, when applicable, distribution.

BGIN is also developing Bitcoin silicon

The broader hardware strategy includes Bitcoin. BGIN completed tape-out of its 4 nm BT1 Bitcoin mining ASIC in March 2026 and later reported that the first silicon worked without requiring a redesign cycle. Prototype Bitcoin hardware using the company’s silicon has since been demonstrated publicly.

Independent hands-on testing by The Hobbyist Miner showed an early single-chip ICERIVER Bitcoin prototype producing real SHA-256 hashrate. The tester emphasized that the BT0 demonstration unit was not a production miner and that its performance should not be extrapolated into specifications for a future commercial machine.

ICERIVER mines more than Bitcoin

This is also an example of why the mining-hardware market extends beyond Bitcoin. BGIN has developed proprietary mining hardware for proof-of-work networks including Kaspa, Alephium and Aleo in addition to its newer Bitcoin work. The custom-silicon service can target third-party algorithms rather than forcing projects into a pre-existing machine architecture.

That means the company’s business spans mining-hardware sales, cryptocurrency mining, hosting and now external ASIC engineering. The Seoul appearance is intended to find projects that want dedicated chips rather than general-purpose GPU or CPU mining.

Why custom silicon matters

An ASIC is only useful when the entire machine around it works. A deployable miner still needs power conversion, control hardware, firmware, pool compatibility, cooling, networking and manufacturing yield. ICERIVER’s pitch is therefore not simply to sell a chip design but to carry a project from algorithm-specific silicon toward manufactured mining hardware.

The next evidence to watch will be new customer contracts, additional tape-outs, production volumes and independently reproducible performance. The KBW announcement confirms the engineering service is being marketed globally; it does not by itself announce a new retail miner.

Sources

• ICERIVER: Korea Blockchain Week 2026 announcement
• BGIN: ASIC customization launch and first delivery
• The Hobbyist Miner: ICERIVER Bitcoin prototype test

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