Tech
What is cryptocurrency mining? How to do it?
Have you ever wondered what mining for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies involves, and how you can get some crypto tokens without having to buy them from an exchange? The rapid rise in the prices of Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ether, and Dogecoin in the first half of this year led many people to want to get involved in the crypto ecosystem. While most people buy and sell them through exchanges, it is also possible (although in some cases, like current Bitcoin, it takes a long time) to ‘mine’ these tokens using your computer to solve complex mathematical equations. Here’s how it works and how you can mine your tokens.
What is cryptocurrency mining?
Bitcoin, Ether, Dogecoin, and most other cryptocurrencies are created using a technology called Blockchain, which is the public ledger, which is protected by complex encryption techniques. Getting new coins on the ledger involves solving complex math puzzles that help verify virtual currency transactions. These are then updated on the decentralized blockchain ledger. In exchange for this work, miners are paid in cryptocurrencies. This process is called mining, as it allows the circulation of new coins. Therefore, miners are an essential part of the cryptocurrency ecosystem. The price of Bitcoin in India stood at Rs. 36.53 lakhs, while the Ethereum price in India stood at Rs. 2.53 lakhs and the Dogecoin price in India stood at Rs. 26 at 11 a.m. M. IST of August 16.
How does mining work?
During mining, computers solve complex mathematical equations. The first encoder to crack each code can authorize the transaction. In exchange for the service, the miner earns small amounts of cryptocurrencies. Once the miner successfully solves the math problem and verifies the transaction, he adds the data to the public ledger, called the blockchain.
Work test
This is the algorithm that protects various cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin. It ensures that no authority becomes powerful enough to start running the show. This process run by miners is a necessary part of adding new blocks of transaction data to the blockchain. A new block is only added to the blockchain system if a miner submits a new winning proof of work. This happens after every 10 minutes on the network. The purpose of the proof of work is to prevent users from printing additional coins that they did not earn or spending twice as much.
Why is it expensive to mine tokens?
In the early days, shortly after Bitcoin came into existence in 2009, it was a profitable business. At that point, miners would get 50 BTC (which was then worth $ 6,000) for solving each equation. Since the resources required to mine a single bitcoin were also less, the miners were able to pocket most of the reward as pure profit. Although the reward for mining Bitcoin has decreased over time, the value of each BTC has increased enormously. As of April 2021, the value of a Bitcoin reward is almost $ 3.33,000 (roughly Rs. 2.47 crore).
But the cost of mining Bitcoin has increased dramatically. This is because the competition for tokens is much higher and high-performance computing is now required to successfully mine the tokens. As a result, the cost of the energy consumed in this process could be enormous depending on the location of the miner and the type of hardware they use.
How can you start mining?
First, get a high-performance computer. Next, create a wallet for Bitcoin and other popular cryptocurrencies. Once done, join a mining pool to maximize profitability. These pools are groups of miners that combine their resources to increase their mining power. The profits generated by mining are distributed evenly to all members of the group. Mining pools allow people to work together and compete more effectively.
