How to Earn Cryptocurrency Through Mining

Last Updated Sep 2, 2024

So, you’ve probably heard of crypto mining at some point in your life, and you’re curious to know how it works. 

Written By

Reviewed By

There are hundreds of cryptocurrencies on the market today, and only a handful can be mined. The key tip is to always be sure of the crypto you’re mining and all the necessary mining hardware you need to mine. Once you have these, there’s no stopping your crypto mining earnings in the long run.

In this post, we take a closer look at the activities of cryptocurrency mining and how you can get  from it as a virtual currency miner.

What is Cryptocurrency Mining?

Cryptocurrency mining is simply the act of creating new cryptocurrencies. It entails the process of using high-performance computers by miners to verify a crypto as authentic through the calculation of mathematical cryptographic problems while earning cryptos as rewards upon completion.

Understanding Cryptocurrency Mining

Through the process of mining, cryptocurrency miners provide access to new blocks on the blockchain system for others to trade on. 

Essentially, the first crypto miner to complete the mathematical cryptographic problem earns the cryptocurrency as a reward. 

This earned cryptocurrency subsequently gets introduced into the market and can be traded by the crypto miner. 

The process of a miner becoming the first to solve the cryptographic puzzle and eventually earning the cryptocurrency as a reward is called Proof of Work.

The proof of work demands users solve the mathematical quiz to earn cryptocurrency, thereby reducing the likelihood of fraud in the crypto market through the detection of fraudulent crypto transactions.

Also, note that not all cryptos can be mined because not all provide cryptocurrencies as rewards for solving complex puzzles. Some popular cryptocurrencies that can be mined include Bitcoin, Litecoin, Zcash, Ravencoin, etc. 

Nonetheless, the more famous the cryptocurrency is, the more difficult its mining gets. When the number of miners mining a cryptocurrency increases, the hashing power, which is the time a computer employs to calculate varying hashing puzzles, gets overridden and taken over.

Mining Hardware and Equipment

The mining hardware is perhaps the most challenging part of starting your earning journey as a crypto miner. Some of the items you’d require include a reliable internet provider, a sophisticated computer system, and, not to forget, mining rigs.

Mining rigs are simply sophisticated, high-performance computers that contain all the necessary parts of a computer system, for instance, a PC, keyboard, and mouse, but instead of a Central Processing Unit (CPU), the mining rig uses either a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) or an Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC). Other essential parts of a mining rig include the motherboard, the storage unit, the power supply unit, cooling systems, etc.

You can opt to construct your mining rig from the start or simply get an already prebuilt mining rig that possesses a significantly higher hash rate. 

The tip to note for newbie cryptocurrency miners is that the greater the hashrate in the rig, the better and faster the profits from crypto mining. Nonetheless, higher hashrates tend to be very expensive. Let’s take a look at some of the essential hardware needed for cryptocurrency mining.

a. Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) or an Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC)

This is perhaps the most significant hardware needed for crypto mining. The GPU and the ASIC act as the processing units of your computer (PC) while mining.

ASIC’s have higher hashrates and are therefore better for calculating the complex cryptographic puzzles for your crypto reward than the GPUs. Nonetheless, ASICs are more expensive than GPUs. It is also possible to have a single PC connected to many GPUs. The trick is that the more GPUs connected, the higher the hashrate becomes.  

b.     Motherboards

Motherboards are essential to all computers, including mining rigs. Ensure you get a motherboard that can support your GPU or ASIC effectively.

c.      Random Access Memory (RAM)

Cryptocurrency mining consumes data on the computer. Getting the RAM to support data storage on the GPS or ASIC while mining is highly significant. 

d.     Power Supply Unit (PSU)

The PSU is needed to power your rig's components. Having a PSU that is more than double the power required for your rig components is essential to a seamless mining journey.

e.      Storage

Extra storage is needed for your mining journey. It is essential to acquire storage that exceeds 200 GB, whether on an SSD or hard drive.

f.       Mining Software

There are numerous software programmes to employ for your cryptocurrency mining journey. The majority of this mining software is free, with a few requiring affordable subscriptions. 

Some of the mining software options to employ include CGMiner (best for centralized management), BFGMiner (best for customizing) and NiceHash (best for ease of use). 

Other significant hardware includes a stronger Operating System, a cooling system for your GPU or ASIC, a riser to increase the flow in your GPS or ASIC, a reliable internet connection, mining frames, a wallet for keeping your crypto rewards, etc.

How to Build a Mining Rig

Now that you understand the major hardware components of the mining rig, it's time to set up your rig. You should know that you can opt to get an already prebuilt mining rig. Nonetheless, if you’d like to find out how to build yours, we’ve got you covered.

a.      Getting the Best Hardware

Choosing the best hardware starts with knowing the best measurement and capacity needed for your mining rig. Ensure to get the components that can allow your mining journey to begin at ease.

b.     Assembling the Mining Rig

Once you’ve selected the best hardware, the next step is to assemble your mining rigs.

The process begins with attaching your GPU, or ASIC, to the motherboard. Ensure to mark the sockets of your motherboard and your processor; this will help you know the difference. After that, connect your RAM to the RAM socket on the motherboard. Then attach your PSU and USB to your motherboard.

c.      Installing mining Software

To install software, research the best software that is needed for your mining journey. Move on to the software’s platform and download the software online. Once downloaded, the software can be installed on your PC. 

Joining a Mining Pool

Mining pools are a union of several cryptocurrency miners who come together to share their hardware components, mining software capacity, and knowledge to mine on a large scale for the benefit of all miners in the pool.

The cryptos made in the pool are shared amongst the miners in proportion to the effort put into attracting the reward.

Mining pools are beneficial to miners who are starting out or are simply small scale because they save costs that would have been used to deploy the expensive hardware needed for crypto mining. 

Conclusion

Crypto mining holds strong relevance to the cryptocurrency Blockchain technology, the system of cryptocurrency mining, shares strong similarities to the activities of traditional miners, who mine precious stones and introduce them into the market from the earth. 

Cryptocurrency miners deploy high-performance computers to authenticate the originality of a crypto transaction before allowing it to circulate on the market. 

In this work, we explored all there is to know about the concept of crypto mining earnings.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a CPU as a Processor for Crypto Mining?

Yes, but the performance of your mining would be affected by the lower hashrate from your processor.

How long does it take to earn a Crypto from Mining?

Depending on the cryptocurrency you are mining, it can take from 10 minutes up to an hour to gain crypto rewards.