Melanin

What Melanin does

Melanin Network (also doing business as Melanin Engineering) is a Boston, Massachusetts-based private company that builds hardware and software for converting excess solar energy into Bitcoin mining rewards. Its core product is the MSBX (Melanin Smart Box), a compact, pre-configured Bitcoin mining device designed to be installed alongside residential solar arrays producing 100W+ of excess capacity, paired with Melanin Click, a desktop and Android mining software for DIY deployment. The system connects to the Melanin Network via Stratum V2 encrypted connections and uses energy-aware optimization that auto-scales mining intensity with solar production, with a local-first architecture intended for rural and off-grid connectivity environments.

The company operates a non-custodial business model on a 97/3 revenue split — 97% of mining rewards flow directly to user-controlled wallets, with Melanin retaining a 3% platform fee — supplemented by hardware sales of the MSBX unit. Distribution is two-pronged: a B2B channel through solar vendor partners who install MSBX units alongside residential solar systems, and a direct-to-consumer, product-led channel via the self-serve Click software. Customer segments are households with residential solar (primary) and solar installers (secondary, channel). Geographic targeting prioritizes regions with high Solar Reliability Index: Sub-Saharan Africa, MENA, South Asia, the US Sun Belt, and Southern Europe. Future-state products include AI compute workloads on the same hardware footprint and a data center solution for monetizing stranded energy.

Founded around 2020 with approximately 14 employees, Melanin has no disclosed funding rounds, named customers, management team, patents, or awards in the available source material. The website still runs a 'Get Launch Updates' sign-up, and the company positions itself as preparing for broader commercial launch. Note: the firmographic record lists the company as a non-profit based in Tallinn, Estonia, founded 2018; the company's own website, legal documents, and detailed source material indicate a privately held for-profit entity headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, with continuous operation reflected in 2020–2025 copyright notices. The primary-source company website and Massachusetts governing law clause govern this conflict.

Name

Melanin

Legal name

Melanin Network

Website

https://melanin.solar

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Melanin Network builds MSBX hardware and Click software that convert excess residential solar energy into Bitcoin mining rewards on a 97/3 non-custodial revenue split, distributed through solar vendor partners and self-serve channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar-integrated Bitcoin mining hardware and software

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)

SIC

Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cloud Mining & Hashrate Marketplace Services (FSADAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mining Software, Firmware & Monitoring Platforms (FSADAOAF)

Keywords

• Bitcoin mining hardware
• Solar energy monetization
• Cryptocurrency mining software
• Mining pool network
• Renewable energy computing

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Platform Fee (3%): Melanin charges a 3% platform fee on mining rewards. Users receive 97% of all mined rewards directly to their non-custodial wallets. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Hardware Sales: Sale of pre-configured MSBX (Melanin Smart Box) units to solar vendors and end customers. The MSBX is a small form factor mining device.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Melanin sells the MSBX (Melanin Smart Box), a compact pre-configured Bitcoin mining device designed to be installed alongside residential solar arrays and convert 100W+ of excess solar capacity into Bitcoin and Whive mining rewards. The company also distributes Melanin Click, a desktop and Android mining software for users who want a DIY option on their own hardware. Both connect through the Melanin Network, a managed miner pool platform that runs Stratum V2 encrypted connections, auto-scales mining intensity with solar production, and pays 97% of mining rewards directly to the user's non-custodial wallet in exchange for a 3% platform fee.

Product overview

Melanin offers a two-pronged product architecture combining hardware and software for solar-to-Bitcoin mining. The MSBX (Melanin Smart Box) is a pre-configured hardware device installed by solar vendors alongside residential solar systems, while Melanin Click provides DIY desktop and Android mining software for users who prefer to run mining on their own hardware. Both products connect through the Melanin Network platform, which provides managed miner access and secure encrypted connections. The system converts excess solar energy (100W+ capacity) into Bitcoin mining rewards, with a 97% payout to users and 3% platform fee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MSBX (Melanin Smart Box) A compact, pre-configured Bitcoin mining device designed to be installed alongside residential solar arrays by solar vendor partners. It connects automatically to the Melanin Network over Stratum V2 encrypted connections and converts 100W+ of excess solar capacity into Bitcoin and bonus Whive mining rewards.
• Melanin Click Desktop and Android mining software that lets users mine Bitcoin using excess solar energy on their own hardware. Functions as a DIY alternative to the MSBX with the same 97/3 fee structure, available as a self-serve download for direct-to-consumer adoption.
• Melanin Network Managed miner access platform that supplies the network layer connecting MSBX hardware and Click software installations. Provides Stratum V2 encrypted connections, AI-driven performance optimization, and the settlement layer that pays 97% of mining rewards to users' non-custodial wallets while retaining a 3% platform fee.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22% increase in electrode capacity and 39% increase in capacitance under solar light conditions (biological melanin reference)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Solar VendorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSolar vendors and installers partner with Melanin to install MSBX units alongside residential solar systems. The partner program enables vendors to offer Bitcoin mining as an upsell to their existing solar customers, creating additional revenue streams for both parties.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Genesis Mining: Genesis Mining operates cloud-mining contracts and is one of the longest-running retail hashrate marketplace services. It is comparable to the Melanin Network platform layer (3% take rate on mining rewards) for non-technical consumers.
• BitAxe (open-source project by FutureBit / Skot): BitAxe is the leading open-source home Bitcoin mining hardware project, producing sub-$200 SHA-256 miners aimed at DIY enthusiasts. It competes with MSBX in the same household-miner category and exerts downward pressure on Melanin's price premium.
• Compass Mining: Compass Mining is a marketplace and hosting platform for retail Bitcoin mining, selling ASIC hardware and aggregating hashrate sales. It is directly comparable as a retail-facing mining hardware + hashrate marketplace, though at industrial scale rather than solar-integrated household.
• NiceHash: NiceHash is a hashrate marketplace where miners point hardware at rented hashing power buyers. Like Melanin, it monetizes miner hardware via a take-rate platform and offers plug-and-play software for home users.
• Blockstream: Blockstream runs institutional Bitcoin mining infrastructure with an explicit clean-energy focus, in addition to its Layer-2 and Liquid work. The renewable-powered mining operations and miner-services business overlap directly with Melanin's solar-paired mining thesis.
• Soluna Holdings: Soluna develops and operates renewable-powered data centers purpose-built for Bitcoin mining and AI compute. It is comparable to Melanin's planned expansion into energy-paired compute, though at data-center rather than household scale.

Broad incumbents

• Riot Platforms: Riot Platforms is a large-scale publicly traded Bitcoin miner with renewable energy initiatives. It overlaps on the 'clean-energy mining' theme but operates utility-scale infrastructure rather than the household distribution Melanin targets.
• Marathon Digital (MARA Holdings): Marathon is one of the largest publicly traded Bitcoin miners and has been pivoting toward renewable/stranded energy. It is comparable as a green-energy-focused miner operating at industrial scale, but does not target households.
• Hive Digital Technologies: Hive Digital is a publicly traded crypto miner (Bitcoin + altcoins) with a stated green-energy focus and growing AI/HPC compute services. Its renewable-mining plus AI-compute roadmap mirrors Melanin's stated trajectory from a much larger base.

Emerging players

• EcoFlow: EcoFlow is a major consumer solar/battery ecosystem (power stations, balcony solar, home batteries) with an established residential distribution channel. It is adjacent rather than directly competitive today, but represents a credible emerging entrant that could bundle solar-to-mining into its existing consumer stack.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/melaninsolar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Melanin