Avalon batch two starts to ship, over 51% of the network hashrate soon to be Avalon

According to their most recent mail out Avalon has started shipping their second batch of 65 GH/s ASIC bitcoin miners to waiting customers that have paid the 75 BTC asking price.

The second batch of ASIC miners consists of 600 units (or 39 TH/s) to add to the already hashing 300 units of batch one (19.5 TH/s). That is a total of 900 Avalon ASIC Bitcoin miners combining for a total of 58.5 TH/s.

Given that the total bitcoin network hashrate, including the 300 Avalon units already in operation is somewhere about 60 TH/s this means that Avalon ASIC units could soon be responsible for close to half of the network hashrate.

While this does not mean the same thing as if a single entity was in control of over 51% of the network it does bring into question what a malicious piece of firmware along with a trojan complete with firmware updater could potentially do to the bitcoin network.

ASICMiner meanwhile are still sitting at 7.2 TH/s and Butterfly Labs ASIC devices are yet to make an appearance.

Below is a copy of the full email from Avalon;-

We are ramping up and the shipping of batch two has indeed begun, albeit not up to speed, we expect this situation to improve in a week or so once the equipment finish installing and the new, additional crew get use to the process. we are in also the process of merging many earlier problematic orders, if your order still does not show up in the store by Friday of the 19th please open another ticket.

Those who wish to trade in your FPGA generation Icarus or Lancelot: it is time to package and RMA those units back to us.

The address to sent

• Mr. Chen Xuyi
• Xin Zhong Fa Dian Zi Shi Chang, 2319#
• Zhong Guan Cun Da Jie 32 Beijing Hai Dian
• China
• 100086

or in chinese

• 陈旭宜
• 新中发电子市场，2319#
• 北京海淀区中关村大街32号
• +86 13801156072