Mining cryptocurrencies on a home computer: debunking myths

Wow, I'm looking at all these articles about mining on a regular computer and can't help but laugh. I remember back in 2014 I tried mining on my old laptop and almost burned it out. Now I'll tell you what you can really squeeze out of your home PC.

Forget about Bitcoin – that boat has long sailed. Unless you are sitting on a nuclear reactor with free electricity. But there are a few coins that you can theoretically try to mine at home. I emphasize – theoretically.

Dogecoin (DOGE)

Yes, this meme coin that Musk constantly praises can technically be mined on a home computer. You need a wallet, a program like a CPU miner, but honestly? The speed will be such that you will earn enough for coffee approximately never.

If you have a decent AMD or Nvidia graphics card, you can try cgminer. But I wouldn't waste electricity – the pools are already filled with ASICs, and your chances of actually mining something are approaching zero. Although if you want to warm up in winter – why not.

Ethereum Classic (ETC)

After Ethereum switched to PoS in 2022, miners rushed to look for alternatives. ETC can be mined on desktops, but... don't expect to make a profit. This coin has long been on the sidelines of the market, and even if you mine something, you'll constantly have to chase buyers.

Bitcoin Gold (BTG)

Another useless Bitcoin fork from 2017. Yes, technically it can be mined on home hardware. But the project is practically dead, no one is developing it, only the capitalization is still holding. The Equihash algorithm allows mining on GPU, but the cost of electricity will eat up all potential profits.

Is it worth it at all?

Judging by the comments on the original article, I'm not the only skeptic. As one user rightly pointed out: "A laptop for 200 thousand with a socket of 2 cents brings in 8 rubles a month!" And he's right – the time for home mining has long passed.

If you are interested in the crypto world, it is better to just buy some coins on exchanges or engage in staking. At least your computer won't turn into an expensive heater, and the graphics card won't die after a couple of months of continuous operation.

Or maybe I just regret that I didn't start mining back in 2010 on my old Nokia?