AMD Releases New Software Package for Cryptocurrency Mining

Graphics card (GPU) maker AMD is rolling out new software geared specifically for cryptocurrency mining.

As detailed on its website, the "Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition Beta for Blockchain Compute" is described as a beta-level driver aimed at improving the performance of GPUs used for mining, the process by which new transactions are added to a blockchain, creating new tokens as a reward along the way.

AMD's release comes amid a period of growing demand for GPUs, which is being driven by elevated prices in markets for cryptocurrencies like ether, the native currency on the ethereum blockchain.

Indeed, both AMD and rival chip maker Nvidia have been taking advantage of the boom for graphics cards.

Both

companies have issued statements on the subject in recent days, though in the case of AMD, the company has taken a somewhat bearish stance on the future of the cryptocurrency mining market.

Positions aside, the rush to acquire GPUs in pursuit of profits has had an effect on the revenues for both firms – last week, Nvidia's CEO declared that cryptocurrencies are "here to say".

That said, the release of the driver – a piece of software that enables computers to communicate with hardware components – signals that AMD is looking to keep miners around, at least in the near-term. AMD published the driver as a beta release, noting that it "will not be supported with further updates, upgrades or bug fixes."

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