(ASIC) Application-Specific Integrated Circuit

Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) are computer chips optimized for a specific use case. The vast majority of gear deployed to mine Bitcoin nowadays is powered by ASICs intentionally designed to maximize the chances of earning the block reward. Because they have the best chance of solving the mathematical equations used to determine the reward the fastest.

Some networks are intentionally designed to be mined using GPUs, General Processing Units instead of ASICs. Crypto networks where ASIC mining is possible tend to be dominated by a few large mining groups because of the advantages of scale. Where-as mining tends to be more decentralized across a larger number of participants in GPU networks due to wider spread access to GPU computing power.

Further Reading on ASICs

What is an ASIC, and why is everyone using them? – Sigenics