Tether has secured commitments from 15 Bitcoin mining companies, hardware manufacturers, and mining pools to support its open-source Mining Development Kit (MDK). The company aims to make it easier for different mining systems to work together and expand the use of AI to automate mining operations.
The participating companies include Bitmain, Bitdeer, Canaan, MicroBT, Foundry Digital, F2Pool, Luxor Technology, and OCEAN. Other participants include ACME Swisstech, Elektron Energy, EMCD, Heatbit, Proto, SpiderPool, and Stratum V2.
Under the initiative, each participant is expected to develop and maintain a software connection that allows its equipment or services to work with MDK. However, Tether has not confirmed that all 15 companies have completed their integrations or deployed the software across their operations.
Tether introduced MDK in April as an open-source framework for monitoring mining equipment and building applications that can work across different systems. Bitcoin mining facilities often use machines from several manufacturers, each with its own management software. This can make it difficult for operators to monitor and control everything through one platform.
MDK aims to solve this problem by allowing different machines and services to communicate through a common software interface. Mining operators could use compatible tools to monitor equipment and manage operations without building separate applications for every manufacturer.
The system does not require companies to replace their existing equipment or give up control of their operations. Participants can decide which features they want to connect to the shared platform.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said a common software system is needed because managing large mining operations becomes difficult when every machine uses a different communication method.
The company also plans to use MDK to support AI-powered mining automation. These applications could help monitor equipment, detect problems, and adjust operations as conditions change.
According to Tether, its QVAC mining agent is already operating on MDK. The company presented it as an example of AI software interacting directly with mining infrastructure. However, Tether has not released independent figures showing whether the system reduces electricity costs, improves mining output, or lowers maintenance expenses.
The initiative follows Tether’s decision to release its Mining OS as open-source software in February. That system was designed to help manage mining hardware, energy use, and operational data, while MDK gives developers tools to build additional applications.
Tether is also expanding its work in artificial intelligence. The company recently participated in Tenstorrent’s $1.5 billion funding round, which valued the AI chipmaker at $6.2 billion. Tether did not disclose the size of its individual investment.
MDK was scheduled to reach version 0.11 during the Plan ₿ Forum in Lugano on October 23–24. Tether is targeting the first stable release, version 1.0, by the end of 2026.
Developers can already access the framework to test integrations and build applications. The software includes a JavaScript development kit and a React user interface library for creating custom dashboards and equipment controls. It supports Windows, macOS, and Linux, with potential uses ranging from home mining setups to large industrial facilities.