Surely almost everyone who is just starting to get acquainted with Bitcoin wants to mine it on their own computer, and not buy it on a cryptocurrency exchange or something else. We hasten to disappoint you: today this is no longer realistic. Two or three years ago this was possible, but then large investors saw the huge potential for profit from bitcoin mining and invested large sums in the development of specialized chips.
This led to the emergence of specialized devices called ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), designed exclusively for mining cryptocurrencies. The speed of Bitcoin mining using ASICs has increased hundreds of times when compared with regular home computers. Due to the growth in the power of the Bitcoin network, the difficulty of mining cryptocurrency has increased, after which it became impossible to do this on a desktop computer.
Bitcoin mining plant
Don't be upset!
Due to the fact that Bitcoin is open source, independent developers have begun to launch many alternative cryptocurrencies for a variety of purposes. Such cryptocurrencies are usually called forks or altcoins. The developers, when creating their cryptocurrencies, pursued different goals, which is why the forks with altcoins came out differently. Some, for example, allow you to mine more coins or provide higher transfer speeds. Thus, the third most popular cryptocurrency, Litecoin, is also a fork of Bitcoin.
So what's the point of this? It's simple: due to the fact that ASIC chips are released only for a specialized encryption algorithm for mining cryptocurrencies, such as SHA-256 (bitcoin) and SCRYPT (litecoin), some independent developers have released their cryptocurrencies with a different algorithm for which ASIC devices does not exist. This is done to ensure that the network power, and therefore the difficulty of altcoin mining, does not grow to enormous levels. Such cryptocurrencies can be mined on ordinary computers, but we will figure out how to do this and how many coins can be mined further.
Widget
We have already mentioned this method earlier and even showed it in work. In essence, this is a regular widget that can be installed as a banner or as a weather widget. Due to the fact that it can be customized (change the style), it can be inserted anywhere and in any size. You can see the main code of this widget in the picture below.
Example code for a mining widget on a website
The documentation has many additional parameters that can help customize this widget.
A live example of this widget for mining with style customization:
!!! The example has been removed for security reasons.
Example widget code with specified styles and parameters
This option is more designed for curious users, but as practice shows, curiosity makes itself felt. Many people click to test their computer and find out how much they will earn if they start mining, while others click simply because they have not seen similar widgets before.
So this method is also not bad in its own way. And it doesn’t require any permissions, unless you set the automatic launch option. In this case, we will encounter the above notice.
Choosing a cryptocurrency for mining
The mining speed of any cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin, is measured in hashes per second. At the time of writing, the current unit of measurement for mining speed is kh/s (kilohashes per second). You and I need to find out how many kh/s our computer can produce. Mining speed depends on the characteristics of your video card. For example, let's take the NVIDIA GTX 580, the average mining speed of which is 220 kh/s. You can see what speed your video card will produce by following this link.
How do you know which cryptocurrency is best to mine today? Two popular sites will help us with this: coinwarz and whattomine, where we will see summary tables of all existing cryptocurrencies that can be mined, as well as their mining algorithms.
For us, the important indicators are Revenue/Profit (per day), which means “reward/profit (per day)”, and the Exchange Volume column, which means the volume of coins that we can sell on the exchange at such a price in order to get exactly that profit, which we see in the Revenue/Profit (per day) column. We recommend exchanging mined coins for bitcoins once a day so as not to lose profits if the altcoin price suddenly goes down (and this happens quite often).
Choosing a cryptocurrency for mining
So, we have chosen the most profitable cryptocurrency for us, at the time of writing this is Feathercoin (FTC) with the NeoScrypt mining algorithm. We enter our mining speed into the table and we get that we can mine cryptocurrency for 96 cents per day, or $28 per month (excluding electricity costs).
Hidden script
We have already described this method in a previous article and it has caused a lot of criticism.
The principle is that a script (see below) is installed on the site, invisible to the user’s eyes. You can install it along with the traffic code, or simply in the footer of the site. When you first access the site, a notification will be displayed asking for permission to use computer resources to support the project.
Example code for a hidden script for mining on a website
Example of a notification requesting permission to mine
This method has its pros and cons. Firstly, thanks to this notification, when you visit your site, antiviruses will not swear. Mining will start with the user's consent. Many have already written that no one will give voluntary consent and that other methods are needed. We thought so too... During testing, we noticed that on average every tenth visitor still allows it. This may simply be due to human curiosity. The second version is due to the fact that many people do not read the notification and immediately press the first button they come across. Be honest, how many of you would have read the notice?)
Thus, despite its shortcomings with this resolution, we believe that this method makes sense. Although in any case it's up to you to decide.
Choosing a mining pool
After choosing a cryptocurrency for mining, we need to find a pool in which we will mine it. Of course, you can mine “solo”, that is, alone, but it is still more effective to join forces with other miners and mine in a pool.
A pool is a site where many small miners come together and jointly mine cryptocurrencies. The more power the pool has, the greater the chances of finding the right block and getting more coins. Pool sites are usually listed on official cryptocurrency websites in the Pool section or on thematic forums such as Bitcoin Talk. The main criteria for choosing a pool are the total mining capacity of your cryptocurrency and the commission.
Captcha
Perhaps this method will suit most users.
It consists of installing a captcha script that runs as you type 1024 or 2048 hashes. The more powerful the user’s computer, the faster he will complete the captcha. It can be installed when logging in, when writing comments, or simply when going to any page. No confirmation is required, since the script is used by the user himself.
Example captcha code with mining start
A live example of a captcha below for 2048 Hashes
!!! Example removed for security reasons
If the captcha does not load, please disable Adblock!
As you already understood, this method is quite universal and can be used in many ways. It can be well suited for not quite ordinary options, such as, for example, when watching movies at a purchased Online cinema, you need to go through a captcha, or when going to some section... We are already silent about the use of this option when authorizing on the site, when registering, when writing comments... We hope you find the right application.
Comparison of cloud mining services
In this section, we will look at cloud mining services and sites that work in 2022 and actually pay.
Top (rating) profitable and reliable cloud mining
- IQ Mining. Available cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, some altcoins. Contract terms – 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 5 years, unlimited. Project launch year: 2016. No verification required.
- Cryptouniverse. Available cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Litecoin. Contract periods are 180 days, 365 days, 730 days, 1095 days, as well as a contract until January 2025. Project launch year: 2022. No verification required.
- Hashmart. Available cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin. Contract terms are 365 days, unlimited. Project launch year: 2022. No verification required.
- Bitluck. Available cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin. Contract terms – 30 days, 150 days, 240 days, 360 days. Project launch year: 2022. No verification required.
- ECOS Cloud Mining. Available cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin. Contract periods are 180 days, 360 days, 365 days, 720 days, as well as a contract until January 2025. Project launch year: 2022. No verification required.
Don’t be surprised that we didn’t mention such giants as Hashflare, Genesis Mining and a number of others. At the moment, they either do not have contracts available for sale (after all, the capacity in the data center is limited), or those contracts that are available are unprofitable.
Program for mining Ethereum on a video card: purpose of the utility
Ethereum mining involves performing calculations aimed at finding a hash and obtaining the next blocks in the blockchain chain. As a result of the work, the miner receives a reward of 3 ETH coins. The Ethereum mining program is software designed for the extraction of ETH virtual coins. Its task is to ensure the operation of the equipment (“hardware”).
The main requirement for equipment and software for Ethereum mining is to perform the necessary calculations, mine blocks and receive rewards. But as the complexity of the crypto network increases, the requirements for the equipment and programs used for mining increase. Software developers offer additional features that increase the convenience and efficiency of mining virtual coins. Auxiliary software options include:
- Improved GPU performance...
- Setting (regulation) of hashrate.
- Monitoring farm parameters on video cards, ASIC miners or other equipment used.
- GPU temperature regulation.
Ethereum mining software guarantees maximum performance from the equipment used.
Mining Ethereum online: how to choose a program
It is necessary to pay attention to a number of criteria:
- Algorithm. The Ethereum cryptocurrency runs on Ethash, so software compatibility with this algorithm is important. For comparison, Bitcoin mining requires software that runs on SHA-256. The mining program must be “tailored” for the extraction of a specific cryptocurrency (situations are possible when the software works simultaneously with several coins).
- Maximum processed hashrate. If the GPU produces 37 MH/s, a program that can handle up to 40 MH/s is sufficient. It is important to consider the number of GPU “slats”. If the user installs multiple GPUs, the requirements for the cryptocurrency mining program also increase. If you choose the wrong program for mining Ethereum, the efficiency of coin mining decreases. When using software with inflated parameters, overheating or failure of the equipment used is possible.
- Type of cryptocurrency mining. In the case of Ethereum, mining is available using farms on GPUs or ASICs. Previously, CPUs were used, but as the complexity of the crypto network increased, the efficiency of mining on central processors also decreased (it became zero).
- Possibility of mining several virtual coins. The situation in the cryptocurrency market is constantly changing. The more options the software offers, the better.
- Auxiliary options. Monitoring the temperature of the equipment used, mining cryptocurrency in the background (allows you to perform other tasks while the Ethereum mining software is mining cryptocurrency), GPU acceleration. In some software, automatic selection of algorithms for performing calculations, switching between equipment, etc. is available.
Basically, the interface of all Ethereum mining programs is presented in the form of a console. To configure and overclock the equipment, set the necessary settings and manage production, commands must be specified manually. To work with such software, you will need certain knowledge of scripts and commands.
Pseudo cloud mining (free)
Pseudo cloud mining is an external imitation of real cloud mining.
The company that runs it does not have any equipment or computing power. There is only a script that pretends that mining is actively going on “on the other side.” Moreover, the profitability is usually promised to be quite high. Some of these services provide a registration bonus, which you can immediately invest in the contract and start making a profit. At first, they may even pay regularly to gain their trust. But then, when the contract ends, you will want to invest your own money - and, alas, you will not receive anything in return. Such resources are designed for beginners who came to the service by accident and do not understand the intricacies of the process.
It is best to avoid such sites, or use bonuses, but not invest real money.
ETH mining: TOP mining programs 2021
The presented software has a top-end interface and automatically produces cryptocurrency.
How to mine Ethereum? The program - SrbMiner will help you become the owner of the coveted coins
The SrbMiner program is available in two versions: CN and MULTI. The first is intended for forks of the Cryptonight algorithm and only works with AMD cards. The multiminer supports the mining of various altcoins on the processor and red video adapters.
How to mine Ethereum: GMiner program
Supports Aeternity, Ethereum, Beam, Grin, RVN and other coins. More than half of the algorithms are intended only for Nvidia. You can download the application on GitHub. Example of setting up a batch file:
gminer --algo -a kawpow -o stratum+tcp://eu.ravenminer.com:3838 -u RVN_WALLET
The latest release of GMiner v2.21 demonstrates a significant improvement in mining performance.
Ethereum mining rig will perfectly mine coins using PhoenixMiner
Phoenix Miner is an analogue of the outdated program Claymore, but it works faster on the Ethash algorithm (ETH, ETC, Muiscoin, EXP, UBQ, etc.). The utility supports AMD and Nvidia video cards. Works on Windows x64 and Linux x64 operating systems. The software has a built-in commission for developers of 0.65%, every 90 minutes of mining a miner, of which 35 seconds he mines for developers (the function cannot be disabled). PhoenixMiner, like Claymore, can change timings on the fly, overclock a video card and adjust voltage. All AMD card owners with 4GB RAM must upgrade to PhoenixMiner 5.0 e or later to continue mining Ethereum after DAG epoch 350 (ETH and ETC have already passed this era).
You can download the program on the official thread on the Bitcointalk website. The program has proven itself among the mining community and has excellent reviews. The developer is actively updating and releasing new versions.
Program for Ethereum Team Red Miner
The red miner was previously popular among owners of GPU farms on Vega series video cards. But, after the Ravencoin coin switched to the KawPow algorithm, other miners began to use it.
The developers of Team Red Miner were among the first to add splitting a DAG file larger than 4GB into two fragments to support Ethereum mining after the 384th era. You can download the program on the Bitcointalk forum.
NBMiner - a simple program for mining Ethereum
The program gained popularity after the release of the Grin crypto coin, before which it was used to mine Ethereum in LINUX. Supported algorithms:
- Tensority;
- Ethash;
- cuckaroo(d);
- cockatoo;
- cuckoo_ae;
- progpow;
- sipc;
- eaglesong;
- bfc;
- hns;
- trb;
- kawpow.
NBMiner has a -mt option to optimize memory timings for Nvidia GDDR5 and GDDR5X GPUs.
The WinETH program will help you mine Ethereum
WinETH is another software for Windows. It works with AMD and Nvidia video cards. Software updates occur automatically, have a “background” mining mode that consumes a minimal amount of electricity, and a mining mode only when your computer is in standby mode.
Shortened links
This is also a very interesting and useful method. In the case of auto-filled sites, you can specify all links to the original source through the link shortening service from Coinhive and when you go to the site there will be a redirect with subsequent accrual of cryptocurrency.
To use this method, you must already have created an account on the Coinhive website (the link is provided in this particular implementation) and in the special Shortlinks section, indicate the link that needs to be shortened, linked to the previously added site and indicate how many Hashes should be collected. In the example of this link we specified the value 2048.
An example of creating shortened links for mining
The beauty of this method is that you can generate free traffic and specify the shortened version of the link.
There, as a test, we brought 132 visitors to one site with Hash 2048. Taking into account the fact that another script was installed on the site where users were driven (a hidden script about which was written above), confirmation was no longer required and a total of 613,376 were collected Hash. The total was 0.00005521 XMR. If we convert to USD, the amount is not large, but we spent essentially nothing. And the calculation is that the exchange rate will rise and the amount may increase, as for example with Bitcoin. The price 3 years ago was approximately 200-300 USD, and today it is about $17,000.
Example of mining income from shortened links
So this method can also be well suited for many purposes.
The only downside is that it is not yet possible to automate the process of shortening links on auto-filled sites, and all links must be shortened manually and added to the service.
