Hut 8 launches GPU-as-a-service program for AI developers

Bitcoin (BTC) miner and computing infrastructure patient Hut 8 announced nan motorboat of its GPU-as-a-service programme connected Sept. 26.

The program, developed successful business pinch AdvizeX, is aimed astatine artificial intelligence developers. It will springiness engineers entree to “several” Hewlett Packard Enterprise supercomputers powered by a cluster of 1,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs. For comparison, Microsoft’s OpenAI supercomputer contained 10,000 GPUs arsenic of 2020. 

Pivot to artificial intelligence

Hut 8 was founded successful 2017 arsenic a patient chiefly focused connected Bitcoin mining. Shortly thereafter, it pivoted to unreality and AI services. The exertion utilized for Bitcoin mining and AI improvement has immoderate overlap, pinch GPUs being a superior plus for some sectors. 

The Bitcoin mining assemblage has go progressively challenging successful nan aftermath of nan April 2024 halving. At nan time, nan reward for mining a Bitcoin artifact was reduced from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC. 

Bitcoin’s web hashrate and trouble person some reached all-time highs since nan halving, arsenic Cointelegraph precocious reported, pinch mining accommodation of each sizes facing gross squeezes. 

Related: Bitcoin value stuck successful ‘extended consolidation phase’ owed to driblet successful superior inflows — Report

Hut 8’s pivot to providing AI services has apparently started paying off. According to a blog station from Hut 8, nan company’s GPU-as-a-service programme has already begun generating gross pinch its inaugural deployment. 

“The motorboat of our GPU-as-a-service vertical further diversifies our compute layer, which now spans AI compute, Bitcoin mining, and accepted unreality services,” Asher Genoot, CEO of Hut 8, said successful a statement. He added:

“Consistent pinch our committedness to disciplined superior allocation, we judge a thoughtfully system AI compute business will beryllium accretive some financially and strategically and thrust topline growth, gross diversification, and semipermanent worth creation.”

GPU-as-a-service

GPUs — graphics processing units — were primitively created arsenic hardware for handling analyzable machine graphics. They’ve since been adapted to accelerate cryptocurrency mining and AI training. 

The astir celebrated GPUs, specified arsenic Nvidia’s H100, are often successful short supply. Demand, however, has steadily increased, pinch immoderate of nan world’s largest companies lining up to acquisition arsenic galore arsenic they’re capable to get their hands on. 

GPU-as-a-service programs, specified arsenic Hut 8’s, connection an replacement for developers and startups. Those who can’t spend to build their ain clusters aliases nan power demands of operating them tin acquisition entree via unreality computing. 

Magazine: Lady of Crypto will beryllium ‘all retired of crypto’ by September 2025: X Hall of Flame