HIVE Digital Technologies reported performance from its Nvidia A40 GPUs in Paraguay comparable to Nvidia’s H100 systems, according to CCN. The research focused on large-language-model pretraining was conducted by researchers from Columbia University while based in New York.
What happened
Researchers found that HIVE’s older-generation Nvidia A40 graphics processors in Paraguay matched the performance of Nvidia’s flagship H100 chips for specific artificial intelligence training workloads. The study, carried out by Columbia University’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, involved training large language models remotely using HIVE’s GPU cluster.
The findings have been submitted to the Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS) conference, one of the leading gatherings for AI research. A researcher noted, “In our use case of pretraining LLMs of up to 1.4B parameters, our results match those of H100s after normalizing for each hardware’s raw performance.”
The project represents an early demonstration of what HIVE describes as intercontinental AI training, with computing resources situated more than 5,000 miles from the researchers using them. This suggests that AI developers may increasingly access compute resources globally without significant performance losses.
Why it matters
The successful deployment of A40 processors in Paraguay signals a shift in how AI infrastructure can be developed and utilized, allowing for a broader range of locations suitable for high-performance computing. This is crucial as access to electricity becomes one of the biggest constraints on AI expansion.
The findings validate HIVE’s strategy to evolve its operations from a Bitcoin mining base into a globally connected AI computing platform, placing the company in a position to capitalize on one of the fastest-growing segments of technology.
Background
On May 20, 2026, HIVE announced plans for a 100-megawatt substation in Yguazu to support a future AI and high-performance computing campus. Civil construction on this substation has been completed, with energization expected later this year. HIVE plans to begin construction of a Tier III data center in late 2026.
Paraguay has attracted significant interest from data center operators due to its abundant hydroelectric power, much of which is generated by the Itaipu Dam, one of the world’s largest hydroelectric facilities. HIVE aims to position itself as a leader in this growing field.
What’s next
The company plans to initiate construction on its data center in late 2026, aiming for commercial operations to begin in the second half of 2027. Investors are closely watching these developments as HIVE seeks to enhance its AI infrastructure capabilities.
