Bob Burnett
Bob Burnett is the founder and CEO of Barefoot Mining, a company dedicated to developing “horse-class” Bitcoin mining sites and expanding diversity in mining geography, scale, and energy sources. With over 35 years in technology, Bob previously spent 13 years at Gateway, Inc., a Fortune 200 personal computer company, where he led product development as Chief Technical Officer. His deep expertise in hardware engineering, infrastructure, and energy integration has led him to found multiple Bitcoin mining ventures, advocating for decentralized, sustainable, and scalable mining solutions. As a passionate Bitcoin evangelist and educator, Bob is committed to advancing Bitcoin’s role in monetary freedom and energy innovation.
Session
MOD: Rob Warren
This panel explores the cutting edge of ASIC chip development for Bitcoin mining and its impact on heat reuse technology. Designing an efficient ASIC is a massive undertaking, requiring deep expertise and resources, which is why manufacturing has remained concentrated among a few players. But what if system builders had direct access to ASIC chips? Could this unlock purpose-built heating systems instead of retrofitting industrial miners? We’ll discuss why current ASIC manufacturers also build entire mining systems—chassis, fans, power supplies, and control boards—and whether they will continue down this path or eventually offer chips and supporting documentation for decentralized system development. Will ASIC manufacturers recognize the opportunity in heat reuse, or will independent innovators need to push the frontier forward?