In preparation for the Bitcoin halving event, Bitmain's U.S. subsidiary operating in Georgia has significantly increased its imports of mining equipment. Recent data reveals that around 8.5 EH/s worth of miners have been imported, showcasing Bitmain's proactive approach to the expected decrease in Bitcoin block rewards. The surge in imports started in the summer of 2023 when Bitmain sent 40 EH/s of their S19XPs to Georgia. Following a quieter period post-October, the arrival of 50,000 units from the S19XP series in March indicates a renewed interest in mining hardware imports.

Import records from the last month, as reported by TheMinerMag, display a wide variety of S19XP models, with a total gross weight close to 800,000 kilograms. This large shipment has sparked discussions on whether these imports are intended for customer orders or for Bitmain's own mining activities, particularly after BitFuFu's recent listing on Nasdaq and the significant funding it received to fuel its expansion.

Bitmain Georgia's continuous import of the S19XP series, along with a hosting contract with Core Scientific for 4.1 EH/s of S19jXPs, suggests Bitmain's ambition to substantially increase its mining capacity. The total imports of S19XP miners by Bitmain Georgia from July 2023 to March 2024 exceeded 5 million kilograms, contributing to an estimated hashrate of 50 EH/s.

This import trend corresponds with the rise in hashrate on Bitmain-affiliated Antpool, although competition with other mining pools such as Foundry remains intense. With the Bitcoin community focusing on the upcoming halving, the implications of Bitmain's recent imports and BitFuFu's operational hashrate on the industry will be closely watched.