Mining bitcoins using a computer. How to mine bitcoins on your home computer - all the tricks and useful tips. Select an exchange or wallet where the mined cryptocurrency will be accumulated

Mining is the only mining method, the essence of which is to calculate the cryptographic signature of a block using a special algorithm. For decrypting each block, a reward is awarded (the amount is determined by the type of coins mined). However, to start mining, you will need a lot of effort and investment. Instructions in 5 simple steps will help you figure out how to mine cryptocurrency at home.

Step #1. Assemble equipment (“hardware”)

First of all, you need to prepare the “base” - a computer high power, which will act as a “farm”. Recommended RAM– at least 4 GB. As an optimal operating system, miners prefer 64-bit Windows version(10 Pro 64-bit). There are also OSes designed exclusively for mining certain crypto coins. For example, ethOS is provided for.

The basis for successful mining will be GPU graphics processors built into computer video cards (by no means budget ones). These are commonly used when processing 3D graphics for video games. Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or professional ASICs (Application-specific Integrated Circuits) can also be used. The latter are not easy to find, so it is better to assemble a farm from video cards. The stand can be purchased ready-made,

or build it yourself:

The success of cryptocurrency mining will be directly proportional to the computing power of the equipment. The speed of calculating the next block of the blockchain and the likelihood of receiving a reward depend on them. It means that system board you need to choose one with the maximum number of slots for installing multiple video cards.

Suitable models for cryptocurrency mining:

  • ASUS Radeon RX 580 (4/8 GB), Radeon RX 570 (4 GB), GeForce GTX 1070 (8 GB);
  • Gigabyte Radeon RX 560 (4 GB), Radeon RX 570 (4 GB), GeForce GTX 1080 (8 GB);
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060, 1070, 1080 Ti (from 8 to 11 GB);
  • MSI GeForce GTX 1080 (8 GB).

The main characteristic that you need to pay attention to when choosing a card is the hash rate.

Special mention should be made of USB miners for bitcoin mining: BPMC Red Fury USB, Avalon Nano 3, GekkoScience, AntMiner U2.

It is important to select an effective cooling system in advance, since the PC will work around the clock. In addition, it is necessary to provide a stable connection to the Internet. A prerequisite is good ping. The power supply must match the power consumption.

Step #2. Selecting a cryptocurrency and registering a wallet

To decide which crypto coins to mine, you need to take into account the power of the equipment, the cost and popularity of the currency. Naturally, I would like to first find out which cryptocurrency is currently profitable to mine. The first thing that comes to mind is . Today it is very difficult to mine them due to the conditions of production of the coins themselves and the high requirements for the power of the equipment. In addition, we must remember large quantities large miners who have been doing this since the first days of BTC. The computing power of their specialized equipment significantly exceeds what the average user can provide. And one more important point: more than 50% of BTC has already been mined, and each subsequent block is becoming more and more difficult to calculate. Even with 5 video cards, the process will be boring, long (about 1 Bitcoin in 130 days, which previously took 40 days), and most likely useless. Whether such a game is worth the candle is up to you to decide.

Ethereum or Ethereum ranks 2nd in value and popularity. These coins are easier to mine because less computing power is required, and you can exchange them for Bitcoin at any time (on exchanges or exchangers). It is also worth paying attention to Monero, Zcash, Ripple, Dash. It's difficult to determine a favorite. You can independently monitor their value on exchanges or entrust the choice to miner programs. They're in automatic mode monitor cryptocurrency rates and mine the most profitable ones at the moment, often switching between them every few minutes.

At this stage, you need to register a cryptocurrency wallet on which the mined coins will be stored. It will help to do this.

Step #3. Choosing a mining pool

A pool is a server for joint mining that shares the tasks of calculating a block signature between participants. In the case of collective work, cryptocurrency mining ( in simple words) is to combine technical capabilities miners in order to generate more blocks in less time. As a result, each pool participant’s chances of earning coins are multiplied, which are then distributed in proportion to their contribution to the common cause.

There are many pools: AntPool (mining relative to all new blocks - 15%), DiscusFish/F2Pool (12%), BitFury Pool (12%), Bitclub.Network (5%), GBMiners (5%). Claimbtc, FreeBitcoin, MoonBitcoin have also proven themselves well. On the forums, miners speak positively about nanopool.org, www2.coinmine.pl, dwarfpool.com.

To do right choice pool, you need to consider:

  • what cryptocurrency can be mined;
  • level of protection (reliability);
  • principle of calculation of remuneration;
  • power and ping;
  • average frequency of finding blocks;
  • ease of setting up the miner program;
  • monitoring capability;
  • fees for mining and withdrawing coins to your wallet.

Those who like to work on their own should choose coins that have recently appeared on the market as they are easier to mine. For single Bitcoin mining, the functional and easy-to-use official BitcoinCore (BitCore) client is optimal. However, it is better for beginners to start mining cryptocurrency from scratch through a pool.

Step #4. Software

Download, install and configure a suitable mining program. Suitable multifunctional software for Windows, Linux and macOS:

  • EasyMiner;
  • MinePeon;
  • MinerGate;
  • 50Miner;
  • MacMiner;
  • CGMiner;
  • NiceHashMiner;
  • BFGMiner.

The NiceHashMiner miner looks like this:

You can use additional utilities, for example, to overclock a video card.

Step #5. Activation of equipment and principle of its operation

So, the equipment is assembled, connected to the Internet and ready to go. Before you mine cryptocurrency, you need to run the script. After activating the selected software, the mining process will look something like this:

The program activates video cards, “forcing” the graphics processor to produce certain codes. A crypto coin is a long code, the elements of which are calculated by video cards. When all the parts of the code are put together, you get a coin. An ordinary person does not necessarily need to understand how this happens; the main thing is that the program will do everything itself. The process is carried out automatically, but the computer needs to work around the clock.

Farm payback

Miners claim that the payback period for equipment is about 7-8 months. In fact, it is very difficult to calculate over what period the costs of creating your own farm will be reimbursed, as well as to predict profitability. It all depends on the choice of equipment, the type of coins mined, the difficulty of mining, and even the number of miners.

It is convenient to calculate potential profitability using an online calculator - http://profit-mine.com/#!/gpucalc. Another service that will help determine how profitable it is to this moment engage in mining of one or another cryptocurrency – https://whattomine.com/. It analyzes the dynamics of exchange rates and, based on the data obtained, predicts the level of income from mining.

If you look at things with an independent “human” view, you can roughly calculate.

Equipment and running costs

The most expensive element of the system is a video card (about 20-30 thousand rubles), and several of them are needed to ensure the efficiency of the farm. ASIC boards are even more expensive - about $1000, but their operating algorithm is limited (only for mining a certain currency). Accordingly, for an ordinary miner who is configured to mine different coins, ASICs are not profitable.

Additionally you will need:

  • system unit;
  • motherboard;
  • CPU;
  • RAM;
  • power unit;
  • a few more little things.

All this will cost about 200,000 rubles in total. To this must be added the cost of electricity, which will be consumed continuously. A farm of 5 video cards will cost about 1.5 rubles/month.

Costs also include air conditioning of the premises, use of the Internet and pools (they will have to pay a commission of 0.5% to 3% + separately for withdrawing cryptocurrency).

Profitability and risks

In a week, a small farm can produce one Ethereum coin (ideally), which is now valued at approximately 27,000 rubles. This means that equipment costing $3,000 will pay for itself in 3-6 months and, after deducting expenses, will generate an income of 50-60 thousand rubles. per month, comparable to the salary of the average office employee in Moscow. If $7-10 thousand is invested in creating a farm, then the potential income can be from $50 per day.

The downside is that regardless of mining activity, no one can guess how many virtual coins will be earned. It will not be possible to mine one cryptocurrency indefinitely - most coins have a limited issue, which is known in advance. In addition, the growing number of miners leads to a decrease in the reward after each completed transaction and an increase in the complexity of the process. For example, the reward for creating a Bitcoin block was initially 50 BTC, at the end of 2012 it was reduced to 25 BTC, and in 2016 to 12.5 BTC. In 2020, this figure will most likely decrease by half again. The reward for finding a block of Ethereum is even lower – about 5 ETH.

Is it worth it to mine cryptocurrencies?

It is possible that prices for mined cryptocurrencies will jump, as a result of which even a couple of mined coins will pay off handsomely. However, the rate can fall at any time and the situation will change dramatically. And if you add to this the statistics of cyber attacks, no one can guarantee that the miner will ultimately make a profit. Whether the extraction is worth all the costs, efforts and risks - everyone decides for themselves.

Experts argue that mining is “collecting gold dust, not the bars themselves.” Therefore, it is better to consider it as an option for receiving additional income, but you cannot count on it as a way of guaranteed enrichment.

Before you start mining, take the “first steps”:

  1. Study in detail the information on how to mine cryptocurrency and determine for yourself whether it is worth your effort.
  2. Evaluate your professionalism - level of knowledge in the IT field and understanding of the prospects of the chosen coin. If they are based on publicly available information or are mere guesses, it is better to abandon the idea immediately.
  3. Carry out “cold” calculations and competent analytical work. Be sure to take into account the number of competitors with specialized hardware (they will find a hash faster than you) and carefully weigh all the risks that await you.
  4. Forget about saving money when choosing equipment - you will need powerful, reliable and durable components.
  5. Try to find several suitable video cards.

Do not forget that in order to obtain tangible income, large investments are required - in equipment, room cooling, and system maintenance. The cost of “entry” into the process of mining cryptocurrencies is increasing every day, despite the fact that the equipment itself quickly becomes obsolete “morally” and becomes unusable.

A way out for the lazy/smart: cloud mining

This method involves renting or purchasing equipment for mining cryptocurrencies, which is located on a third-party resource. In this case, setting up, connecting and maintaining the system is performed by a special service, which means that cloud mining is suitable for beginners. The income from it is also proportional to the power of the equipment you choose.

The advantages of this solution:

  • you can use any number of farms remotely;
  • it is allowed to start with a minimum investment (some services offer contracts starting from $2);
  • the power of specialized equipment is usually much higher compared to home equipment;
  • This option is ideal for those who do not understand the technical nuances and cannot assemble/configure the equipment themselves;
  • the choice is optimal for those who do not want to be tied to the premises where the farm is located, or are not ready to spend a lot of time and money on preparation;
  • It is possible to mine both bitcoins and several other types of coins at the same time.

Disadvantages and risks:

  • the likelihood of a cyber attack on the server you are using, which could result in you losing everything;
  • risk of falling to scammers;
  • high commissions (they include all costs, including equipment repairs);
  • similarity to a financial pyramid - many services offer referral programs and rewards for attracting new clients.

Cloud mining companies that have lasted for several years are Genesis Mining and HashFlare.io. And yet, if you decide to start, then start with a minimal investment.

Mobile mining

Recently, it has become possible for beginners to try mining bitcoins or other coins without large investments. For this purpose, specialized applications for smartphones have been developed. For example:

  • ARM Miner Bitcoin 2.9 is one of the first applications for mobile mining (Android 2.2 and higher);

  • NeoNeonMiner 1.2.8 – miner for Android 2.3 and higher;

  • MinerGate Mobile Miner 2.4 is a specialized pool for iOS, Android 4.1 and higher.

It should be noted that the power and performance of the average smartphone is not enough to make a satisfactory income from mining. In addition, when launching applications, dubious advertisements often appear and anti-virus scanners are triggered.

Conclusion

Only those who have free electricity, the makings of a Great Miner and the willingness to invest substantial funds in a good “farm” can derive significant benefits from mining. Otherwise, it is better to avoid mining. But these are just precautions...


Bitcoin mining in 2018 is a process that has been the subject of much discussion in the cryptocurrency community. With the rise in the price of BTC, network users have confidence that the extraction of virtual currency is profitable, and the purchased equipment pays for itself in a short time. But is it?

Mining efficiency is a multifaceted parameter that takes into account not only the cost of the instrument, but also other factors - trends in the field, the attitude of government authorities towards cryptocurrency, and so on. Only with a comprehensive assessment can one say whether BTC mining will be a profitable endeavor or whether it is better to abandon it. Below we will look at how cryptocurrency is mined, what are the features of this process, and what equipment is best to use.

Prospects for Bitcoin mining in 2018 - brief analysis

In 2017, the value of Bitcoin increased by more than 20 times, which prompted many investors to purchase cryptocurrency, and miners to search for and purchase suitable equipment. This is not surprising, because in December 2017, the BTC rate reached $20 thousand, which significantly exceeded the expectations of the crypto community. Despite the recession that occurred at the beginning of 2018, interest in cryptocurrency has not decreased.

Until the beginning of April 2018, the Bitcoin rate was falling and even reached $6.5 thousand, but after that a bullish trend began and the price confidently went up. As of April 24, 2018, the price of Bitcoin is already $9,226 per coin. This means that in just 20 days the price has increased by 50%. This growth caused another wave of excitement among investors and people aiming to personally obtain virtual money.

Bitcoin exchange rate online chart:

Bitcoin mining in 2018 has the following features:

  1. The block reward is 12.5 coins. Another reduction in the premium occurred in 2016. Network participants have two more years until the next reduction in the premium by 2 times to 6.25 Bitcoins.
  2. The difficulty of mining is growing all the time. If at the beginning of 2017 it was 317 Gigahashes per second, at the beginning of 2018 this figure reached 1.88 Terahashes per second. Despite the depreciation, the complexity continues to increase. As of April 24, 2018, this parameter is equal to 3.84 Terahashes per second. In just 4 months of 2018, the difficulty has doubled. This means that the requirements for equipment for cryptocurrency mining have also increased. The result is obvious - the equipment that is relevant in 2017 today does not give the expected result and payback. For example, farms on video cards (even modern ones) do not provide adequate profit. The only way out is to use ASIC miners, which we will discuss below.
  3. The cost of mining equipment has increased significantly due to growing demand. New video cards and ASICs are sold out immediately after release or are ordered in advance. For example, to create you will need at least 10 video cards, each of which costs from 300 to 1000 dollars. As for ASIC miners, one device costs 2–5 thousand dollars. You can imagine the costs a network member incurs to put together a profitable farm.
  4. Electricity costs. Electricity prices are rising every year. At the same time, the payback of mining depends on the region where the equipment is installed and operating. For example, in the Kamchatka Territory, 1 kWh will cost 8,174 rubles. While in the Rostov region the tariff is much lower - 3.6 rubles. Each region has individual prices for electricity, which is worth considering when starting Bitcoin mining.
  5. Additional expenses. When purchasing equipment, the miner makes calculations at the current time (taking into account the current price, complexity and other parameters). For example, as of April 24, 2018, the average ASIC miner shows a payback period of 6–10 months. Within 1–2 months, this parameter will be adjusted downward or upward, because the difficulty of production will change, as well as the price. The miner will have two options - accept the new payback period or buy additional equipment, and these will be new expenses. Consequently, the cost coverage point may move further or closer (depending on the situation in the cryptocurrency market). Experienced network participants assure that the resulting return period for the invested funds must be multiplied by at least 1.5 times.
From the above, it is clear that the prospects for BTC mining are questionable, because the result directly depends on the power of the equipment used and a number of other factors (price, complexity, cost of electricity, and others). But this does not mean that this type of income should be abandoned. With the right approach, you can count on stable profits and payback throughout the year. But more on that below.

Bitcoin mining - what is it in simple words


The theoretical part is considered the basis of any earnings. Mining virtual coins is no exception. Before you start mining Bitcoins, it is important to understand the essence of the process and its features. BTC mining is a mathematical operation that is performed by special equipment to select the hash of the next block of the blockchain chain. How more power has mining equipment, the faster the options are sorted through, and the higher the probability of finding the required number.

In other words, Bitcoin is a chain of blocks, each of which contains a cryptographic signature created on the basis of the previous blockchain element. During the mining process, the chain is divided into several branches, but the branch on which more miners are working is recognized as valid.

Let's summarize - what is the essence of Bitcoin mining, and what is it in simple words. We noted above that each block of the chain contains a cryptographic signature - this is what miners need to find. The network participant who solves the given problem receives a reward. In 2018 and the next two years, the premium will be equal to 12.5 coins. In 2020, this figure will be halved.

The calculation of the next block depends on the complexity of the network, which changes every 2016 blocks. On average, it takes about 10 minutes to create one element, and the difficulty increases every 2 weeks. The difficulty parameter depends on the speed at which blocks were mined in the past period of time. What does it mean? If a powerful ASIC miner with a higher hashrate appears in the hands of users, the complexity of the system increases. This is a protective reaction of the network, thanks to which the average block mining time remains unchanged.

In other words, Bitcoin mining is the creation of blocks (chain elements) or new coins. Such work is necessary for the cryptocurrency network, because it ensures confirmation of transactions, protects the Bitcoin chain from attacks, and also supports decentralization. A transaction carried out between two participants is reflected in the block after confirmation of validity. If the miner accepted the transaction and added it to the next element of the chain, the coins become available. As a rule, full validity is recognized after six blocks received (sometimes two).

It is impossible to hack the system, because to do this you will have to make a change to the entire blockchain chain, which has been formed since 2009 and is in the form of copies on tens of millions of computers in the world. This is a huge job that requires a large injection of funds and does not make economic sense.

How to mine Bitcoin - step-by-step instructions and methods


Knowing the risks of cryptocurrency mining and understanding the nuances of Bitcoin mining, you can get to work.

Deciding on a mining option


The first step is preparatory. It is important to decide on the method of mining cryptocurrency:
  1. Solo mining- mining coins outside the pool, using your own facilities. Just 3-4 years ago, this method of earning money gave results, but today it makes virtually no sense. The reason is the increasing difficulty of mining virtual coins and high competition from large pools. The likelihood that one miner will find the required hash is extremely low. Even when purchasing powerful equipment, the payback period reaches 2–3 years (at best).
  2. Work in the pool. A wiser solution is to connect to one of the servers, where thousands, or even tens of thousands of participants join together. For the cryptocurrency network, the pool is perceived as one miner, which increases the chances of creating the next block and making a profit. Earned coins are divided between participants taking into account the payment scheme used in. We will talk in more detail about choosing a service for BTC mining below.
  3. Cloud mining. This Alternative option for people who do not have 3-5 thousand dollars to buy equipment, but dream of making a profit from mining virtual coins. Cloud services- sites representing companies producing Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Employees of such organizations buy equipment, configure it, pay money for electricity and solve other related problems. Clients simply buy power and use it to mine virtual coins.
    The cost of services depends on the company. For example, more than a million people participate in genesis-mining.ru. The cost of services starts from $179 per 1 Terahash per second. You can consider other options, for example, hashflare.io. Here the cost of 10 Gigahash per second will cost 60 cents. If you take 1 Terahash per second, the cost will be $600. The advantages of this solution are the possibility of remote mining (without spending money on equipment), low requirements for initial capital and the ability to earn money without special knowledge. The danger is that when working through cloud mining, you can fall for scammers. If you choose proven services, their capacity is almost always sold out. Another disadvantage is the fees that the company charges to cover expenses.

Choosing equipment


Before mining Bitcoin, it is important to decide on the equipment for work. This is relevant if the first two options are selected (solo mining or mining in a pool). Generally speaking, a network participant has four options:
  1. HDD. In 2009–2011, network participants mined Bitcoins on computer HDDs. The use of this method made it possible to save costs and speed up equipment setup. With the increase in complexity, mining on HDD has lost its relevance, and the costs have ceased to pay off.
  2. Processors. During the same period (until 2011), many miners used CPUs to mine cryptocurrency. As in the case of HDD, this method of earning money quickly became useless and has not been used for 6-7 years.
  3. Video cards. Until 2012–2013, a powerful GPU installed on the PC. With the advent of ASICs in 2014, this approach ceased to be profitable. Miners chose a different path - they began to assemble farms on GPUs. At first, up to 4–6 video cards were used, and in 2016–2017 their number increased to 10–16 units. This mining method suffered the same fate as previous methods. In 2018, it is still possible to mine BTC using GPU farms, but the amount of profit received is not commensurate with the costs of purchasing and setting up equipment. Even when using modern graphics cards such as GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or mining efficiency will be low. In addition, the situation is not limited to the purchase of video cards - you will need a full-fledged PC, the purchase and arrangement of racks, the organization of cooling and other expenses. The final costs reach 5–7 thousand dollars (sometimes more), which forces network participants to look for other options.
  4. ASIC miners. The best way to earn Bitcoins in 2018 - give preference to ASICs, which are characterized by high performance, lower energy consumption and reliable operation. This is a compact device designed specifically for mining virtual coins. With the growing demand for such equipment, the number of offers on the market is also growing. For example, on April 24, 2018 it costs $1,288. Its power reaches 14 TX/sec. If you calculate the profit on the specified date, it will be $210 per month. This means that the ASIC’s payback will occur in 7 months. Even taking into account the growing complexity, the ASIC miner will pay for itself within a year. In addition to the mentioned ASIC miner, you can consider other options - Canaan AvalonMiner 821 (12.1 TH/sec) or Ebang Ebit E 10.1 Miner (18 TH/sec).

Let's start a wallet


The next stage that needs to be completed is to select and create a wallet to store the earned cryptocurrency. Here it is important to take into account the ultimate goals of cryptocurrency mining. If the task is to accumulate and store BTC coins for a long time, paper or hardware storage is suitable. If the received Bitcoins will be spent or exchanged for other virtual money, an online, mobile or local wallet will be more suitable. In terms of reliability and convenience, the best options are Electrum () and Bitcoin Core ().

Choosing a pool


Pool interface pool.viabtc.com


To achieve the best effect, it is important to choose the right pool for mining virtual coins. When searching for a pool, you should focus on the reliability of the site, reviews, overall hashrate and method of payment of rewards. As of April 2018, the most popular sites include:
  • pool.btc.com;
  • antpool.com;
  • pool.viabtc.com.
They form the top three among all pools. Among domestic miners, slushpool.com is also in demand, which has a Russian interface and is easy to use.

Registration in the pool


Fields to be filled in when registering on the pool.viabtc.com site


Before you mine Bitcoins, you need to register in the selected one. Each site has individual approaches, but the general meaning boils down to indicating mailbox and password, followed by confirmation via a letter sent by e-mail. After activation, the user receives login information and can start earning cryptocurrency.

Enter payment information


Bitcoin wallet address example


The next step is to indicate the information where the money should be transferred. For example, after registering with slushpool.com, you need to go to the settings section and add a Bitcoin wallet (specify the key for making payments). In many pools, you need to set a parameter at what number of accumulated coins to make payments. Here you should not ask for a large amount - it is better to withdraw money immediately, without trusting online services. On the other hand, you need to take into account the commission that is charged for the transaction.

We provide security


Mining pools are most often targeted by hackers. In order not to be left without money, it is important to make sure that the pool you are using has SSL encryption. The easiest way is to look at the icon in the address bar of your browser. The inscription “https” in front of the main domain indicates the presence of such a protocol. Additionally, many pools offer 2-factor authentication. If it is provided, it is important to activate it. In this case, it will be more difficult to hack the miner’s account.

Choosing a program for mining Bitcoin


CGMiner program in working mode


The next stage is choosing a mining program. This is special software, “tailored” specifically for the extraction of virtual money. When mining using ASICs, additional software may not be required (if it is included). It’s another matter when a video card farm is used to earn Bitcoin. Here you can use the following options - CGMiner, BFGMiner, MultiMiner and others. The advantages of these programs are the ability to mine on ASICs and video cards, ease of setup and the ability to use different strategies for mining virtual coins.

Last steps


The preparation work is almost done. It remains to take the last steps:
  1. We configure the pool, specify the username and password, and then select the equipment used (if required).
  2. We keep the mining process under control, evaluate the hashrate, and look for problems with the connection.
  3. We optimize the process. Some ASICs and video cards have the ability to overclock. If you have the necessary knowledge, do this work.
  4. Evaluate production efficiency. The first conclusions can be drawn in approximately 20–30 days. If necessary, you can change the pool or increase the power of the equipment used.
  5. Monitor the heating of the equipment. The mining process involves round-the-clock operation of ASICs or video cards. To avoid overheating and failure of expensive equipment, it is necessary to control the temperature and provide additional cooling, if required.
Above is how to start mining Bitcoins for beginners. Before starting work, it is important to study information about mining, assess the level of payback (taking into account the increasing complexity and trends in the cryptocurrency market) and try not to skimp on quality equipment. It’s better to spend more money and take equipment with a power reserve than to find out after 3-4 months that an ASIC miner or GPU farm does not give the expected result. It is important to understand that to earn money you need investments. This is true even in cases where preference is given to cloud mining.

And why is it so valued?

Information for dummies. Questions: “How many bitcoins are stored on my computer or laptop?”, “Do I have bitcoins on my computer?” and the like are not correct. Transaction information, not the bitcoins themselves, is stored on the blockchain. Data relating to this chain can appear in encrypted form on the computer only in the event of mining. Bitcoins can be mined and then stored in special wallets. If you have a PC and you think that a certain amount of btc is stored on it, this is a misconception.

Having figured out what Bitcoin is, it’s time to familiarize yourself with how to start mining bitcoin on your computer, how long it can take, what programs are needed to mine cryptocurrency, where is the best place to mine bitcoins, how much can you earn from it.

  1. What are the different ways to get cryptocurrency?
  2. Where is it better to exchange cryptocurrency: on exchangers, exchanges, wallets.
  3. Earn bitcoins by completing tasks on bitcoin faucets.
  4. Mining or how to mine bitcoins on your computer. Browser mining.
  5. Cloud mining.
  6. Scams, mining sites that don’t pay.

4 ways to get Bitcoin cryptocurrency.

There are several main ways to get Bitcoin into your wallet.

  1. Buy Bitcoin on a stock exchange, exchanger, or specialized website.
  2. Get Bitcoin using a computer, ASIC devices or farms using mining on the video card or in the browser (processor).
  3. Earn cryptocurrencies By completing various tasks, you can get it using Bitcoin faucets.
  4. Cloud mining.
  5. Conduct hacker attack to websites or specific crypto wallets. But such earnings are illegal, so they will not be considered.

And now about each of the above methods in detail, except for the fifth, of course.

Wallets, exchangers, cryptocurrency exchanges. Where is the best place to buy Bitcoin?

It is best to buy and sell bitcoins on exchanges, at a more favorable rate than with automatic exchange in a wallet or payment system. But this is not always possible to do quickly; you need to constantly monitor your bet, which will be outbid by other users. IN worst case, without monitoring the order to buy/sell Bitcoin, you may never get your goal accomplished. True, if necessary, you can immediately buy up counter orders, which is often more profitable than automatic exchange in your wallet.

Good examples of exchanges are:

  1. EXMO. Probably one of the best cryptocurrency exchanges that works with more than 20 currencies (USD, EUR, RUB, PLN, UAH, BTC, LTC, DOGE, DASH, ETH, WAVES, ZEC, USDT, XMR, XRP, KICK, ETC, BCH). In Russian. Very simple and intuitive.
  2. indx.ru. A young Russian-language exchange that supports WebMoney, where you can buy not only cryptocurrencies, but also shares of well-known enterprises.
  3. wmtransfer.com. Appendage payment system WebMoney, where you can buy/sell basic VM title units, just like on the stock exchange.

You can also buy and sell, and store bitcoins in your wallet. This way it is much easier to do. Most often, the purchase/sale of cryptocurrency occurs in a few clicks, and the currency mined in this way almost instantly appears in your account and is available for withdrawal or transfer. But such sites, despite their convenience and speed, have a number of disadvantages: commissions for depositing and withdrawing funds are higher than on exchanges, exchange occurs at a fixed, average rate. That is, we cannot buy cheaper and sell more expensive, like on the stock exchange.

Examples of Bitcoin wallets:

  1. Cryptopay. A good wallet with the ability to order a plastic Bitcoin payment card.
  2. Coinbase. Verified wallet American cryptocurrency wallet/exchange.
  3. WebMoney (WMX account). Simply a popular and convenient, universal payment system.

The exchanger is best used when transferring funds from one payment system to another. It often happens that there is a need to use money stored on PayPal (for example) to purchase bitcoins on WebMoney (for example). It is not advisable to specifically withdraw from the first payment system, and then enter it into the second, after which you can buy bitcoins; there will be large losses in the form of commissions.

An example of a good cryptocurrency exchanger:

If you want to exchange funds at the best rate, the website is for.

Earn Bitcoin.

Earn Bitcoin you can by completing various tasks on certain sites. The method is similar to completing tasks for money, only payment is made not in dollars or rubles, but in satoshi.

An excellent project for completing tasks with payment in bitcoins is the adbtc website.

Another very simple way to earn bitcoins on your computer is on the 2captcha or rukapcha sites. In the finance menu, you must specify the payment method - Bitcoin, and also enter the wallet address.

The easiest and most affordable way is to get cryptocurrency using Bitcoin faucets. These are sites that give out a certain amount of Satoshi per visit, conditionally “for nothing.” Why is it conditional? what is the essence of cranes?

Bitcoin faucets make money through advertising, most often. When visiting the faucet, you need to “break through” several banners, solve a captcha, and possibly “fall” into the trap of a redirect or popunder. For views and clicks on advertising, the site will receive a profit, part of which it gives to its visitors in the form of Satoshi. Receiving cryptocurrency from faucets is faster and more convenient using a bot.

Verified faucets for receiving bitcoins:

  1. freebitco.in. A simple and convenient accumulative faucet with free lotteries and bonuses.
  2. bitfun.co. Game faucet with many interesting browser games.
  3. moonbit. Verified faucet with payout on .
  4. Bonusbitcoin. Reliable and proven.
  5. Moon cash is an excellent faucet with instant payout for bch mining.

Mine Bitcoin using your computer, ASIC devices or Bitcoin farms.

The process of obtaining Bitcoin using your computer is called mining. To do this, the system uses the power of the video card, less often the processor. The more powerful they are, the more efficient the cryptocurrency mining.

In order to mine more bitcoins in a short period of time, entire bitcoin farms are created by connecting many video cards into in a certain order, which makes mining even more profitable.

With the popularization of mining, ASIC devices came to replace video cards. These are special devices invented only for mining cryptocurrencies, which exceed video cards in their ability to mine bitcoins several times.

Today, the most advanced ASIC devices are Antminer of various series from Bitmain, the price of which is from a thousand dollars apiece. One such equipment can mine about 0.1 bitcoin per month. Whereas the newest video cards from Nvidia and AMD are about 0.015. Don't forget to take into account the cost of electricity.

It is profitable to create a Bitcoin farm on ASIC devices, but the cost of the initial investment for the purchase of ASIC or video cards is also very high for ordinary citizens.

How much can you earn if you “force” to mine Bitcoin using a computer and how to start doing it?

How to mine Bitcoin at home and more? How many bitcoins can you earn? in a minimum amount of time, for example, 1 day? This question is asked by many novice miners. In fact, it is very difficult to give an exact answer to these questions until you start mining cryptocurrency yourself at home. High-quality mining depends on many factors, the main ones are:

  1. PC power, its video card in particular or processor.
  2. Mining algorithm. There are a lot of them, because they are developed taking into account the specific characteristics of devices, conditions for the extraction of certain digital currencies. Therefore, on some computers some algorithms will perform better, and on others worse. Which mining algorithm will perform better on your PC? It is necessary to select it taking into account the characteristics of the video card.
  3. States in the pool. A pool is a “community” of miners. For better performance and efficiency of bitcoin mining. Miners, using special software, combine their computers into single network and they mine “digital gold” as a whole, one “big video card”. Earned bitcoins are divided among everyone. The number of accruals for each pool member depends on the share of work done on his computer and other conditions of the pool.
  4. Electricity cost. A very important factor. It’s good if you have it for free (for example, you mine Bitcoin not at home, but at work or have your own power plant). If you take Bitcoin mining seriously, due to the high cost of electrical energy, mining can become unprofitable, or the earnings will be minimal and not worth the effort. Manufacturers of video cards and ASIC devices take this important factor into account, so new models are being produced that are increasingly energy efficient.

Given such difficulties in setting up and specifics of work, is it worth mining bitcoins using a computer?

Despite all the difficulties, choose the most effective method mining, pool, calculation algorithm, and also calculate how much you can actually earn on a computer at home in 1 day, then you can calculate how long it will take to mine 1 bitcoin on your computer without much effort. How to do it?

How to quickly calculate the capabilities of your computer.

  1. Exist online calculators, designed specifically for such calculations.
  2. You can register on nicehash. This site also has a convenient and understandable calculator. But main feature is the nicehash miner program, which, after installation and launch, will automatically select all the necessary parameters for the most effective mining using your computer, and will also show how much your PC can earn per day. This program will not only carry out calculations, make necessary settings computer, but will also automatically mine bitcoins using a computer.

Browser mining.

There is another way to mine Bitcoin using your PC - mining using a browser or processor. This kind of cryptocurrency earnings is suitable for computers with weak characteristics, in particular a video card. Mining takes place in the browser, on separate page, or in a special application or program.

Earning bitcoins in this way is not large compared to the classic option, but it can bring additional income from your PC, especially if it is always on (for example, a computer at work, school).

Good sites to earn bitcoins using a browser or processor.

  • Faucethub. Mining in the browser. This is not only a convenient micro-wallet and cryptocurrency faucet rotator, but also an opportunity to mine Bitcoin on your PC directly in your browser. Go to the “mine” tab, clicking on “start” and mining will begin using your processor.
  • Computta. When registering, the bonus is 100,000 satoshi. Mining using the program. New foreign site for mining on your computer. Advanced mining settings on a PC, combining mining using a processor and video card simultaneously, a system of bonuses, ranks, developed affiliate program, as well as a 1 mBTC bonus upon registration.
  • . Mining Bitcoin in a browser, on your website or blog. A good micro-wallet for, as well as the opportunity to earn Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dash, Dogecoin and Litecoin on any computer in two clicks.
  • Nicehash. Earning Bitcoin using the program. If you cannot evaluate the capabilities of your computer, then with the help of this project and its nicehash miner program, you can choose the most effective method of mining bitcoin automatically.

Cloud mining.

There is another way to get Bitcoin, called cloud mining. Its meaning is that you do not purchase expensive equipment, do not look for suitable premises, do not monitor the operation of devices, and do not pay for electricity. This method allows you to buy the power of pools, servers, ordinary citizens, and essentially rent them. Such sites are a kind of exchange where some sell and others buy mining power.

Programs and sites for mining Bitcoin using cloud mining.

There are a lot of sites and programs for mining bitcoins on the Internet. The most popular and proven are the following.

Examples of the best sites for mining Bitcoin or selling your mining power.

  1. Hashflare. Proven cloud mining in Russian: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dash, Zcash. Simple and clear website, choice of algorithm, purchase of power from 1 $.
  2. nicehash. On the site you can sell the computing power of your PC, as well as buy the power of pools and other users for mining: Bitcoin, Ether and Zcash.
  3. genesis-mining. Using the site, you can mine and buy power to earn Bitcoin, Monero, Ether, Zcash and other currencies. 89 k6 Qh– promo code for 3% discount.

Cloud mining site that doesn't pay.

Perhaps you will find other sites in this area that you like. But first, check out the list of unscrupulous sites that have stopped paying their users.

Leave your comments about ways to mine and earn Bitcoin on the Internet:

Alexander Markov

Mining is the process of using a computer to perform complex calculations on blocks of data that support the Bitcoin network. Miners are rewarded for their efforts with a certain amount of these coins.

Before starting work, study how much profit you can actually get from a particular pool. You can try connecting to different ones to estimate your income.

So, what steps should you take to start Bitcoin mining?

Equipment selection

The easiest, but not the cheapest way to start mining Bitcoins is to buy ASIC devices, for example, AntMiner S9. These devices were specifically designed for Bitcoin mining, which means they usually give you the best return on your investment.

However, as mentioned, these ASIC devices are expensive. For example, the S9 currently sells for $2,490 and up. It will require a separate power supply, which costs approximately $360. These devices are designed specifically for mining BTC, there is no guarantee that they will work well if you decide to use them to mine other cryptocurrencies.

You can create your own Bitcoin mining rig. Although they are not very efficient in terms of hashrate, they usually require relatively little overhead and can be used to mine other virtual coins besides Bitcoin. Computers with several powerful graphics cards can be used as rigs. They are typically designed to render highly detailed graphics in games. But they are also great at handling the complex calculations involved in Bitcoin mining.

It's worth starting with the body, usually it's a regular metal frame that dissipates heat well. Then you will need to choose for mining. For example, AMD Radeon RX 580.

In general, if you decide to bet on video cards, study the issue in more detail. The difference in models can be significant in terms of their efficiency in mining. And the difference in price will be insignificant. The same goes for motherboards. After assembling the machine, you will need to install the operating system on it and software for mining. This solution is more suitable for those who are well versed in hardware and can easily assemble and disassemble a computer themselves.

Otherwise, it is easier to rent hashing power from companies that provide services. Such companies have dedicated data centers that specialize in Bitcoin mining. They centrally purchase powerful and efficient servers, have access to cheap electricity, and often buy it at wholesale prices.

These companies offer a fixed amount of gigahashes per second (GH/s). This power can be rented for an upfront fee. The advantage of this method is that you do not need to invest money in expensive equipment yourself.

However, cloud mining fees vary. You'll have to search profitable offer. And you should be careful: hackers and scammers often pretend to be cloud mining services.

Setting up an electronic wallet

After you have chosen a mining method, you need to find and set up one on which you will make a profit. If you consider this type of activity as an investment and do not intend to spend the profits in the near future, you can go to sites that generate “paper” wallets. This will be a kind of “public address” to which you can receive your payments.

The balance can be checked at safe mode on the website Blockchain.info. You just need to enter the code public key. Don't let anyone know your wallet password because this could give unauthorized people access to your virtual coins.

If you plan to regularly cash out bitcoins or make payments, it is better to choose a dedicated client. For example, the lightweight Electrum wallet is suitable for everyone operating systems, created for desktop PCs, as well as for Android. After creating a wallet, Electrum generates a list of a dozen random words, which are used as a private key. This means that if something happens to the computer, the wallet can be restored.

The Electrum wallet can be installed on a machine that is not connected to the network. This will be an analogue of “cold storage”, protected from hackers. This program also allows you to run your wallet in observation mode, you will be able to view the daily balance, but you will not be able to make payments from it.

Selecting a mining pool

Mining data collection

Preliminary data on equipment efficiency are not always accurate. In fact, everything will depend on how the connection is established between a particular card or device and the pool. Always research which part of your equipment performs better than the rest.

If a certain device does not work very well, you can try stopping mining in the GUIMiner program and restarting it again. From time to time this needs to be done for equipment that does not work the fastest.

Speed ​​setting

If you see that the thermal operating conditions of the equipment allow you to overclock it a little, it is worth doing so. This will allow you to get the most out of your devices. With graphics cards this is necessary: ​​the profits there are so small that the extra speed won't hurt.

EVGA's Precision X utility works well for overclocking video cards. Drivers AMD Catalyst It's also worth a try.

Fighting overheating

If you are using your own rig or multiple ASIC devices, the mining process will heat up your hardware greatly. It should be placed in places with good ventilation so that heat can dissipate well. It's worth noting that the better you cool your machine, the more efficient mining will be.

How to start mining on your home PC using a simple program. We will analyze in detail the entire service and the program itself, and prepare the computer for mining on a video card.

Cryptocurrency mining on your home PC- this is perhaps the biggest dream, you simply get money for the fact that your computer works. Of course, the complexity of mining is growing, and a few years ago you could earn substantial sums on your home PC, but the cost of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies was different.

Now it is more difficult to mine coins, but not yet you can make your computer or laptop generate income.

Instructions

Follow the steps below and start mining in just 15 minutes.

  1. Go through the simple one registration on the site;
  2. Download and run the Miner program;
  3. Ready!

Every day you will receive bitcoins that you can:

  • Withdraw in rubles to Qiwi or Bank card;
  • Withdraw to the official Coinbase.com wallet for storage;
  • Translate to the Russian-language exchange Exmo.com for.

How much can you earn?

Probably the most important question is how much you can earn by mining on your computer. This is easy to find out; when you start, the miner will calculate everything and show the amount you can count on.

Here is my screenshot of my computer with a 2014 video card. As you can see, there is no need to make any additional movements.

Advantages and disadvantages

First, let's talk about the pros and cons of this mining, so that it would be clear whether we should register and earn money on it. An important point is that the money earned is not displayed immediately, but after some time.

  • Mining on your home PC using the program carried out on a video card, there is, of course, the possibility of mining on a processor, but it is much lower. You can use another program for the processor.
  • Easy to install, You just download the program and everything works automatically.
  • A very good FAQ section - answers to almost all questions and also fast technical support. support. I wrote specifically and received an answer within a couple of hours.
  • The service has a user-friendly interface, there are no complicated aspects, that is, you can easily understand it.
  • You can withdraw your earnings immediately to .
  • There is no link to a bitcoin wallet, that is, even if you lose access to it, you can use another wallet.

Of the minuses, it can be noted that the income is not large (relatively, more details below). But on the other hand, on home computer you won’t earn a fortune, although you can get nice additional, passive income.


Of course, you can set up mining separately at a more professional level. But my personal opinion is that increasing profitability with such power (one video card) does not make sense compared to the complexity of the settings.

Mining on a home PC: registration

For registration go to the site and on home page at the very top, click the button " Registration". Registration is generally easy. We enter your email, come up with a password, agree to the terms and conditions and that’s it.


After which, on the mail will come letter, follow the link in it to confirm your email. Then, using your login (mail) and password, log in to the site.

Mining on a home PC: program

Now you can move on to the fun part, downloading and setting up the program. Literally a few steps separate us from the first money earned in passive mode.

If you have an antivirus installed, then during installation of the program it can prohibit processes, just click “allow all” or “add to trusted” depending on your antivirus.


After successful installation, the mining program on your home PC will automatically launch; you need to log in to it. Enter the email address and password you used to register.

The second step, a window will appear where you will be asked to take a test. Just click “start scanning” and the program will automatically determine the parameters of your computer.

In the program, on the “settings” tab, set the necessary functionality, the one that suits you. Money is credited in the form of crypto-credits and is automatically converted into Bitcoin and rubles (in the corresponding equivalent). You can view detailed statistics on the website in the “balance” tab.

All that remains is for cryptocurrency and start spending it!

How to increase mining profitability

As mentioned earlier, for large incomes, you need powerful equipment, but for simple computer, this option will do.

What does profitability depend on and how to increase it? Here I have given a short educational program on the main points. To find out more, you can visit FAQ page on the site itself:

  1. The main power and ability to mine new crypto coins, of course, depends on the video card. The best option- This is a video card with 3 GB of video memory.
  2. Leave your computer running at full power when you are not using it, for example at night.
  3. Do not disable the program itself; if you need the power of your computer, just pause the program.
  4. Video card drivers can also affect performance. Read more detailed instructions on the website in the FAQ section - What drivers should I install?
  5. For Nvidia video cards install Windoes 10 Anniversary Update? especially important for new cards.
  6. If you understand what you are doing, then try it. Everything here is individual and will need to be tested in real time.

This is all! Next time this process will take half a minute maximum!