Riot Blockchain Announces Milestone Purchase Order of 42,000 S19j Antminers, Growing Total Hash Rate to 7.7 EH/s Upon 2022 Deployment

Riot executes on order for 42,000 S19j Antminers from Bitmain for $138.5 million, adding an estimated 3.7 EH/s to Riot’s existing and planned fleet of miners, representing a significant milestone in Riot’s strategic growth plan

Castle Rock, CO, April 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Riot Blockchain, Inc. (NASDAQ: RIOT) ("Riot”, “Riot Blockchain” or the “Company"), one of the leading Nasdaq-listed Bitcoin mining companies in the United States, today announced a large-scale contract for the purchase of 42,000 S19j Antminers for USD $138.5 million from Bitmain Technologies Limited (“Bitmain”). This purchase agreement represents a significant step forward in Riot’s strategic initiative to increase its Bitcoin mining hash rate, which is now estimated to reach 7.7 exahash per second (EH/s) once fully deployed. This level of growth represents a 93% increase over the Company’s previously estimated committed hash rate capacity of 4.0 EH/s by October 2021.

This purchase agreement significantly bolsters Riot’s projected growth. Riot is scheduled to receive a minimum of 3,500 S19j Antminers on a monthly basis starting in November 2021, and will continue through October 2022. The Company is currently receiving monthly shipments as scheduled through October 2021, from previous purchase agreements and this new order continues that growth trajectory.

“This long-term purchase order marks a major milestone in the continued expansion of Riot’s mining operations,” said Megan Brooks, COO of Riot. “Riot’s existing fleet of miners has already positioned the Company as an American leader in Bitcoin mining. By nearly doubling its planned hash rate capacity, Riot continues to take great strides forward in growing both the Company’s and the United States’ share of the global network hash rate. We are proud of this accomplishment and remain focused on continuing to evaluate additional opportunities in the space.”

Once fully deployed, Riot will have a fleet of approximately 81,150 Antminers, 95% of which will be the latest generation S19 series model. The S19j operates at 90 TH/s and consumes 3,100 watts of energy. With all miners fully deployed, the Company’s total fleet is expected to consume approximately 257.6 megawatts (MW) of energy with an overall hash rate efficiency of 33 joules per terahash (J/TH).  This new purchase order continues to demonstrate Riot’s commitment as a market leader to building one of the most efficient Bitcoin mining fleets in the industry.