Talking about ETH mining, I feel a bit bittersweet. It was once a popular way to make money within the crypto community, but now it’s history. Today, I want to share this journey and some things worth knowing.

A few years ago, mining Ethereum involved using specialized equipment to verify transactions on the blockchain, then earning rewards in ETH. It sounds simple, but in reality, it was quite complex. I remember many people started looking for the best ETH mining rigs available today to assemble mining farms.

The most popular mining machines at that time were GPUs like AMD Radeon RX 480 (priced around $150-180), NVIDIA GTX 1070 ($450-500), or higher-end models like GTX 1080 Ti. Each had its own advantages and disadvantages. RX 480 was affordable with decent performance, while GTX 1070 ran cooler but was slightly more expensive. Mining software also varied, from ETHminer, CGMiner to Claymore—depending on the needs.

But then, on September 15, 2022, The Merge event happened. Ethereum transitioned from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake, and ETH mining on the main network officially ended. About 1 million miners with equipment worth over $10 billion felt lost. Some switched to mining ETC (Ethereum Classic), but profits were no longer what they used to be.

After The Merge, Ethereum set up staking pools so ETH holders could earn profits in other ways. This can be seen as support for those who previously participated in mining.

Now, if you want to make money with ETH, there are many alternatives. You can buy and sell on spot markets on exchanges, or trade CFDs if you want to use leverage. Staking is also an option—deposit coins to earn returns without constantly monitoring prices. Currently, ETH is around $2.10K.

Some people even earn free ETH through mobile apps or participate in airdrops, but the profits from those are really insignificant. Only suitable for casual players.

Looking back, ETH mining was an exciting chapter in crypto history. Although it has ended, the lessons about technology, economics, and investment choices still hold value. If you’re looking to get involved in the Ethereum world, staking or trading might be better paths than trying to find the best ETH mining rigs today—because in reality, that’s no longer a feasible option on the main network.