How to Mine Cryptocurrencies – A Practical Guide

Earning money from cryptocurrencies is possible, and the right actions can become a way to a solid passive income. Many people opt for trading or classic cryptocurrency investments. Another solution is cryptocurrency mining.

What to do to mine cryptocurrencies? How to do it on desktop computers, and how on phones? You will read about it in today’s article.

How to Mine Cryptocurrencies – What is Cryptocurrency Mining?

Nowadays, finding additional ways to earn money or support the household budget is of great importance. Cryptocurrencies offer many options in this regard, including mining.

What does it involve? It is crucial for some digital currencies, especially Bitcoin. Mining is understood as the process of verifying and approving transactions in the blockchain network. Initially, information about transactions in the blockchain from the last minutes is collected, and then mathematical calculations are performed on them. The result of such action is later verified by other users. For providing the correct solution, one receives a reward in the form of cryptocurrency.

For mining Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, devices with high computational power are mostly needed to correctly perform all actions. Although independent mining was much simpler a few years ago, the difficulty of mining has increased, as have the costs (high electricity prices). Therefore, it happens that miners join mining pools, which can bring benefits, although it is not free from disadvantages and risks (less control over mining, risk of fraud).

The Process of Mining Cryptocurrencies – What Basic Equipment is Needed and How to Start Mining Cryptocurrencies on High-Computational-Power Computers?

Now that we know what cryptocurrency mining involves, let’s consider what equipment is needed for it.

A good miner is usually required. The most popular are ASIC and GPU solutions, about which we have already written in the article: “Cryptocurrency Miner – Key Features of Equipment for Mining Cryptocurrencies”. ASIC miners (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) are specialized devices based on integrated circuits, prepared for mining a specific cryptocurrency.

More universal is the GPU cryptocurrency miner, i.e., a computer equipped with high-computational-power graphics cards. With these graphics cards, various types of digital assets (including Bitcoins) can be mined. Usually, however, it is not a classic personal computer – for mining cryptocurrencies, one must invest in strong, appropriate computer equipment. In both cases, software is also needed to allow mining.

There are also alternative solutions, and cryptocurrency mining continues to discover new options. One of them is the possibility of cloud mining. This reduces the start-up costs, as there is no need to invest in equipment for mining BTC or other currencies, but only to pay for access to virtual space.

Phones for Mining Cryptocurrencies – The Mining Process on Mobile Devices?

The possibility of mining Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies also exists on mobile devices, such as phones or tablets. Unfortunately, their performance is usually not high, and the effects are much weaker than when we decide to mine Bitcoin or another type of cryptocurrency on desktop computers. However, it can be an interesting and quite cheap option to start with mining.

So how does mining cryptocurrencies on a smartphone work? A good device (preferably with a strong battery, as its consumption will definitely increase) is enough, on which special applications like Electroneum or MinerGate are installed. Moreover, many of the available products combine the mining option with other functionalities, including a cryptocurrency wallet, which allows for the safe storage of cryptocurrencies.

What Does Cryptocurrency Mining Look Like – Summary

The right equipment is needed for mining cryptocurrencies. One can mine crypto on computers that have the required computational power of graphics cards or are equipped with special integrated circuits adapted for mining specific digital currencies. In the case of Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency, there is also the possibility of mining using phones, which, however, means lower efficiency and, in perspective, lower potential profits.

Before making a decision, it is worth carefully considering the strategy (independent mining or within a mining pool) and calculating the expenses related to devices (purchase, operation), as well as the electricity consumption needed for mining and cooling computers. This will allow estimating the profitability of such an investment and determining whether it is really worth getting involved.