MicroBT Whatsminer M20S: recycling, resale, and end-of-life options
Reviewed by the eCycling Central editorial team on April 2026
The MicroBT Whatsminer M20S (MicroBT, released 2019) is a SHA-256 ASIC weighing 13 kg, with a hashrate of 68 TH/s at 48 J/TH energy efficiency. This guide covers what to do with one at end of life: resale, scrap recovery, hosting, or controlled disposal.
Current resale market
Status: Uneconomic outside hosting. Common in Latin America secondary market.
Typical secondary-market resale: $200-380 USD. Original release price was $4000.
Active marketplaces for resale:
- Compass Mining - hosted-mining marketplace, accepts hardware trade-ins
- Kaboomracks - Telegram-based bulk-rig broker
- SunnySide Digital - secondary-market reseller
- [Direct manufacturer trade-in] - Bitmain, MicroBT, Canaan all run periodic buyback programmes
Scrap recovery value
If the unit is end-of-life, scrap recovery is the only legal path in most jurisdictions. Approximate recoverable materials per 13 kg unit:
- Aluminium chassis and heatsinks: ~70% of weight (9.1 kg) - LME spot ~$2.40/kg = ~$22
- Copper wiring and bus bars: ~5% of weight (0.65 kg) - LME spot ~$9.50/kg = ~$6
- PCB with gold connectors and tantalum capacitors: mixed-grade scrap, ~$8-25 per unit at integrated smelter
- Steel frame and fasteners: small amount
Total scrap recovery value: typically $15-50 per ASIC at modern integrated smelters (Aurubis, Umicore). Value is a fraction of any working resale price - sell working units before scrapping.
Hosting alternative
If your power cost is above $0.06/kWh and the unit is uneconomic at that price, hosting in a low-cost region (Texas, Paraguay, Ethiopia, Iceland) may extend earning life by 6-18 months. Hosting providers typically charge $0.06-$0.09/kWh fully landed. Check the J/TH efficiency against current Bitcoin difficulty before signing a hosting contract.
Legal disposal routes
ASICs are classified as WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) under EU Directive 2012/19/EU and most national equivalents. Disposal must go through a registered WEEE processor in:
- EU and UK: WEEE-registered ATF (Authorised Treatment Facility)
- US: R2 or e-Stewards certified electronics recycler
- Canada: provincial-EPR registered facility
- Australia: NTCRS registered processor
Cannot legally be placed in regular waste in any of the above jurisdictions.
Bitcoin e-waste data context
Per Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance research (2021, updated through 2024), the Bitcoin network generates an estimated 30.7 kt of e-waste per year from ASIC obsolescence. The MicroBT Whatsminer M20S contributes to this where it is scrapped rather than refurbished or hosted in a lower-cost region.
Sources
- MicroBT product specifications
- Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance: Bitcoin Mining Resource Centre
- LME copper, aluminium spot prices
- EU WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU
- Compass Mining secondary-market price tracker