On Friday, Hive Digital, based in Vancouver and specializing in bitcoin mining and high-performance computing (HPC), announced its foray into artificial intelligence (AI) and HPC technologies. This strategic move involves acquiring 96 Nvidia H100 graphics processing units (GPUs).
From Bitcoin Mining to AI Expansion: Hive Digital Acquires Nvidia GPUs for HPC Enhancement
Hive Digital (Nasdaq: HIVE), elaborated on its strategy to incorporate these GPUs into a dozen HGX servers. Each server will be equipped with eight H100 GPUs featuring SXM connectivity. This initiative is set to enhance Hive’s existing GPU division, which presently operates 2,600 GPUs in partnership with HPC platforms.
The recent addition enables clients to access Hive’s Nvidia GPUs for various timeframes. Frank Holmes, Hive’s executive chairman, emphasized the company’s shift from exclusive crypto-mining to a broadened strategy encompassing diverse GPU applications.
“With our proven track record of operating massive fleets of GPUs, Hive is in an excellent position to be a leader in the AI infrastructure revolution,” Holmes said. “Put simply, we have been building Hive’s GPU and AI business unit to be the ultimate AI infrastructure pick and shovel play.”
This decision by Hive Digital aligns with a trend among bitcoin mining companies venturing into AI technology. Peers like Northern Data and Iris Energy have also invested in Nvidia H100 GPUs, targeting the burgeoning generative AI market.
Since the outset of 2023, the AI industry has experienced exponential growth, with billions invested and soaring demand for this technology. Aydin Kilic, CEO of Hive, noted that the newly acquired GPUs are already operational in Sweden, Quebec, and Montreal.
Kilic, speaking on Friday, described the nuances of GPU operation for HPC applications compared to crypto mining. “While crypto mining is about being efficient and ensuring you’re maximizing the use of energy allocated to ASIC hashing, operating GPUs for HPC applications requires a robust and redundant network and energy infrastructure,” he explained.
Kilic further highlighted the strategic deployment of the company’s Nvidia GPU fleet. In their Boden data center, approximately 3,000 GPUs have been repurposed for lighter HPC tasks, while others are dedicated to mining GPU-friendly altcoins.
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