8 Best Crypto You Can Mine with CPU and GPU
Cryptocurrency mining, and especially Bitcoin mining, is a very attractive activity for many crypto enthusiasts. The possibility of obtaining rewards in the form of some coin with a high value in the market is an incentive for which even large companies and governments are after.
The problem is that, in the case of Bitcoin and some other crypto, mining is no longer within the reach of the common user, since this requires quite expensive special hardware that not everyone can afford, or obtain due to supply shortages. However, there is still a whole universe of altcoins whose mining process is possible using ordinary equipment, like the ones you and I have at home.
In its basic form, all you need to mine altcoins is a PC or phone, an internet connection, and special software, so if you’re thinking of getting into cryptocurrency mining, this is a good guide to get started.
So let’s take a look at the 10 Best Crypto You Can Mine with CPU and GPU today.
1. Ethereum
The Ethereum (ETH) network is currently a Proof of Work (PoW) blockchain which, although it’ll soon become a Proof of Stake (PoS) blockchain, still requires miners to work to obtain rewards.
What you need to mine Ethereum
Today, you can no longer mine ETH using only your CPU, so you’ll need to make use of GPUs. With a configuration with consumer graphics cards – preferably AMD or Nvidia – you can get good results when mining from home. You’ll also need to download a mining program like Geth, EthOS, or Claymore.
Ease of mining
ETH mining can be quite heavy if you don’t have enough computing power, as the network is very active and there are many transactions being processed.
Brief guide on Ethereum mining
The first thing you need to do is set up an Ethereum wallet to store the cryptographic keys that will allow you access to your crypto assets.
The next step would be to join a mining pool, which is necessary as mining has become complex and requires large amounts of hashing power. Some of the most popular pools today are Nanopool and Ethermine.
Another interesting option is cloud mining. In this case, a large mining farm rents computing power to interested people in exchange for a monthly fee, so they can mine cryptocurrencies without the need for special hardware.
The main disadvantage of this method is that most of these services tend to be scams, so you’ll have to do your research and be very careful in this case.
Please see my past blog post, 3 Reasons Why You Should Not Cloud Mine.
Is it profitable to mine Ethereum?
Ethereum mining is still profitable, but it also depends on several factors.
A rule that applies to basically all cryptocurrencies is that you must take into account the initial amount of the investment, in addition to the costs of the mining and electricity platform, especially the latter, since this is what will help you the most to determine if it’s profitable and after how long.
Fortunately, there are online calculators that can help you in calculating these costs.
What you can do with your coins
You have two options: sell ETH for an immediate profit or store it in a wallet as a long-term investment. In both cases, insha’Allah, you don’t have to worry, since ETH is the second most popular cryptocurrency after Bitcoin, so it’s widely accepted in many exchanges and online stores.
2. Ethereum Classic
As with Ethereum, Ethereum Classic (ETC) is a platform for the operation of smart contracts and dApps, with the goal of adhering to the principles of decentralization as much as possible.
What you need to mine Ethereum Classic
To mine ETC you need almost the same software and hardware as for ETH. Although in the case of ETC, the requirements are somewhat lower, since Ethereum Classic allows a greater share of the ETC market using GPUs of up to 3 and 4 GB.
Ease of mining
Mining ETC is fairly easy nowadays as the Ethereum Classic network is not as overloaded as Ethereum due to the lower transaction volume.
Brief guide on Ethereum Classic mining
Since with Ethereum Classic the hardware requirements are lower, mining alone is more feasible. Of course, you can always resort to a mining pool. Once you have your wallet, mining software, and graphics card configured, you only have to start mining.
Is it profitable to mine Ethereum?
The difficulty of mining and the hashrate of ETC is still very accessible, and if you live in a region where the cost of electricity consumption is cheap (about $0.10 KWH), mining ETC can be very profitable.
What you can do with your coins
As with Ethereum, you can use your ETC for trading or purchases on a wide variety of exchanges and online stores.
3. Monero
Monero (XMR) has become a favorite of many investors and miners due to its excellent performance in recent years. Between 2017 and 2018 it went from $10 to $494, providing a profit of almost 5,000%, and it’s still very attractive today.
What you need to mine Monero
Fortunately, you don’t need to buy expensive ASIC equipment to mine Monero, as you can use your computer’s CPU/GPU.
Ease of mining
Anyone with a computer can mine Monero, as the mining process is quite simple. However, the more powerful your hardware, the better.
Brief guide on Monero mining
As we already mentioned, you can mine Monero using a GPU with enough power. You will also need to install the XMR Stak mining software, which is currently fairly easy to configure. Finally, you only have to join a mining pool, MineXMR, Nanopool, or Moneropool.
Is it profitable to mine Monero?
Currently, mining Monero is quite profitable, considering that you don’t need too powerful hardware. In addition, the algorithm that Monero uses today is quite efficient and consumes little electricity.
What you can do with your coins
You can trade Monero on a good variety of recognized exchanges, although it is best to use DEX-type exchanges. On top of that, around 200 businesses that operate online accept payments with Monero.
4. Dogecoin
Dogecoin (DOGE) is another cryptocurrency that you can mine using GPUs and CPUs. This coin was launched in 2013 as a joke, and it ended up becoming a very popular crypto – thanks Elon?
What you need to mine Dogecoin
You can mine Dogecoin with a CPU, though preferably not with your phone. Of course, the best option will always be to build a good rig with several GPUs, as long as your pocket allows it. Regarding software, EasyMiner is a good option.
Ease of mining
Although it’s still possible to mine Dogecoin alone, due to the increased difficulty that the network suffered in 2018, the most recommended at this time is to be part of a mining pool.
Brief guide on Dogecoin mining
Mining Dogecoin is as easy as setting up your Doge wallet, joining a mining pool like Prohashing, Antpool, or Poolin, and start mining.
Is it profitable to mine Dogecoin?
2021 saw great growth in the price of Doge, standing in March at 0.056 with a reward of 10,000 for each new block in the network, with which you would be earning $560, not bad.
What you can do with your coins
Currently, and thanks to the popularity that Doge has gained in the crypto world, more and more online businesses and exchanges are accepting this cryptocurrency. You can even use the BitPay card for purchases at Mastercard points.
5. ZCash
ZCash (ZEC) uses the Equihash algorithm to process transactions, secure the network, and of course, generate new coins during the mining process. For miners, this reward consists of 3.125 ZEC per block, which is quite attractive considering the ZEC price in the market.
What you need to mine ZCash
To be able to mine ZCash, you need to use Nvidia or AMD GPUs, as CPU mining is not profitable. Mining alone is not recommended either, so it’s a better idea to join a pool, such as F2Pool or Poolin. Regarding software, EWBF Cuda and Optiminer are good options.
Ease of mining
Due to the increasing difficulty of the network, ZEC mining has become somewhat complicated on its own, although not as much as other cryptos. Mining a ZEC would take you more than 20 days with powerful equipment.
Brief guide on ZCash mining
To start with ZCash mining, you’ll only have to install and configure your GPUs, download a ZCash wallet software, install a ZCash mining program – like EWBF – and join a ZCash mining pool.
Is it profitable to mine ZCash?
Yes, Zcash mining can be profitable if you consider a mining hashrate of 140,000.00 H/s, + electricity costs, and pool fees.
What you can do with your coins
With ZCash you can pay directly at dozens of online businesses, either with your mobile phone or anywhere Visa is accepted.
6. Ravencoin
Ravencoin (RVN) is a cryptocurrency that resulted from an open-source project born from a Bitcoin hardfork, and that has become an excellent option for mining.
What you need to mine Ravencoin
This cryptocurrency has an algorithm resistant to ASIC equipment, so you can mine it with no problems using a rig with several GPUs, either alone or in a mining pool.
Ease of mining
Ravencoin is much easier to mine than other cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Litecoin since its algorithm – KaWPoW – requires less computational power.
Brief guide on Ravencoin mining
To start mining RVN, you just have to build your rig with enough GPUs, download the corresponding mining software – KawPoWminer, TeamRedMiner, or Gminer – and configure your wallet to receive your rewards. You can perform this process alone or in a mining pool.
Is it profitable to mine Ravencoin?
Each miner earns up to 5K RVN for each block added to the chain. With a rig armed with at least three GPUs at 72MH/s, you can mine one RVN every 0.021 days, which is equivalent to one block every three months. If you want to do it faster, you’ll need to add more GPUs.
What you can do with your coins
Ravencoin is still a cryptocurrency with a low level of global acceptance, but this is changing gradually for the better.
7. Grin
Grin (GRIN) is a cryptocurrency born in 2019 focused on maintaining the privacy, efficiency, and scalability of transactions within its blockchain. The project has been gaining a good following since its inception.
What you need to mine Grin
Grin has the peculiarity that it has two PoW algorithms for its operation. One of them allows mining through the use of high-performance GPUs, and the other is specific for ASIC equipment.
Ease of mining
Due to the aforementioned Grin features, added to how recent the project is, the mining of this cryptocurrency still presents an accessible difficulty for a large number of users.
Brief guide on Grin mining
You can participate in Grin mining using a GPU rig with at least 8 cards with enough power. You can do it alone or be part of a mining pool. You just need to configure your rig and download the appropriate software, such as Gminer or Lolminer.
Is it profitable to mine Grin?
Many people using a GPU configuration similar to the one mentioned above, manage to get around $200 a month throughput.
What you can do with your coins
Grin is still a very recent project and therefore it doesn’t yet have a high level of acceptance compared to other currencies, but it’s possible to trade it on some exchanges such as Hotbit, Gate.io, and others.
8. Beam
Like Grin, Beam (BEAM) is a cryptocurrency that uses the Mimblewimble protocol, which allows increasing privacy, scalability, and efficiency on the network. This crypto was created in 2019, and being ASIC resistant, it has become an attractive option for many users.
What you need to mine Beam
As it’s an ASIC resistant coin, you can only mine Beam using graphics cards of at least 4GB. CPU mining is not profitable.
Ease of mining
The mining difficulty in Beam will be increased every 4 years, as well as its reward decreased. But even so, it’ll be accessible through the use of GPUs.
Brief guide on Beam mining
As we have already mentioned, it’s perfectly possible to mine Beam alone, but there are also a good number of mining pools available to participate in if you want to increase your mining potential. Set up your equipment, mining software, and connect your wallet to get started.
Is it profitable to mine Beam?
At the time of writing this blog post, the price of Beam is around $0.50 and if we take into account its attractive features, in addition to its ease of mining, this is a crypto with a lot of potential.
What you can do with your coins
With each passing year, Beam gains more acceptance and presence on a greater number of exchanges, including some like Hotbit, and even Binance.
The bottom line
As you have seen, there are still a good number of crypto alternatives that don’t require a huge investment on the part of users and that can also provide excellent long-term benefits.
Remember that Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Monero were not worth much in their early days, but constant support from their communities made them what they are today.
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