🏗️ Blitz - A digital-signature verification engine for the $NEXA software. Blitz is part of a new generation of hardware intended to accelerate intensive parts of transaction and block processing done by the full-node decentralized network. Learn more:

Blitz is an FPGA-based accelerator card designed to speed up computationally demanding tasks while saving time and energy. In the cryptocurrency industry the principal use of hardware acceleration has been in Proof-of-Work mining. 2/

Blitz is a small but powerful card that fits into your computer’s M.2 slot or connects via USB. It’s designed to handle specific tasks faster than general-purpose CPUs by leveraging FPGA (field-programmable gate array) technology. 3/

Blitz acts as a digital-signature verification engine for Nexa software. This makes it perfect for blockchain applications where speed and efficiency are critical. It fits into any standard 22x60mm M.2 slot with B+M keying. 4/

CPUs are built to handle many tasks but often leave transistors idle during repetitive processes. Blitz is specialized hardware, built specifically for digital signature verification. It uses only the necessary transistors, saving energy and working faster. 5/

FPGAs are different from regular processors. Instead of writing software, you design a circuit using a hardware description language like Verilog. This circuit runs directly on the FPGA, making it highly efficient for specific tasks. 6/

Blitz uses Titanium series FPGAs from Efinix, a trusted name in the industry. These chips are powerful, flexible, and ideal for developers building custom solutions. Learn more about Efinix Titanium: 7/

Blitz isn’t just a high-speed accelerator. It’s also a low-cost development kit for those learning FPGA programming or building custom solutions. Nexa will release tutorials for blockchain developers soon, but there are many resources online to get started now. 8/

High-bandwidth production interface: PCIe3x1 at 8 Gbps. USB-to-FTDI interface: A FT4232 chip allows debugging, managing FPGA bitstreams, and simple serial communication. 9/

Blitz installs as four interfaces on your computer: One high-bandwidth interface in the Linux device tree. Three FTDI interfaces (USB-to-JTAG and two serial ports). 10/

Nexa believes in open protocols and education. Reference circuits will be open-source for learning purposes, but lower-level details like Gerber files remain proprietary for now. 11/

If you need to restore Blitz to its original functionality, you can download the factory bitstream from the Blitz repository. Each device has a unique decryption key for secure updates. Blitz is more than an accelerator card. 12/

It’s a gateway to faster blockchain operations, cutting-edge development, and a new way to approach computational challenges. Whether you’re using it for digital signature verification or diving into FPGA programming, Blitz is built for the future. 13/

Blitz — A digital-signature verification engine for the $NEXA software 14/