Quote:[i]2018 has nearly drawn to a close, and as we’re already gearing up for the event that kicks off 2019 for the industry – the mega-show that is CES – we wanted to spend one last moment going over the highs and lows of the tech industry in 2018. So, whether you’ve been out of the loop for a while and are looking to catch up, or just after a quick summary of the year behind and a glimpse at the year to come, you’re in the right place for the AnandTech Year in Review.
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GPU Market: Boom, Bust, & Broken

For better or for worse, by far the leading story in the GPU space for 2018 is the latest rise and fall of the cryptocurrency markets. While the GPU space is by no means a stranger to the market-breaking weirdness that cryptocurrency mining has on GPU prices – we’ve been through this a couple of times now – the latest cycle was the biggest boom and the biggest bust yet. And as a result it’s had immense repercussions on the industry that will play out well into 2019.

While the latest cycle was already well underway before 2018 started, it hit its peak right at the start of the year. Indeed, that’s when the Ethereum cyptocurrency itself – the predominant cryptocurrency for GPUs – hit its all-time record closing price of $1,396/token. As a result, demand for GPUs for the first eight months of the year was unprecedented, which was a boon for some, and a problem for many others.

Full reading: https://www.anandtech.com/show/13735/anandtech-2018-in-review-gpus