Laptop mining in 2024

First, you need to choose a cryptocurrency for mining on a laptop. For example, mining bitcoins on a CPU and video card in 2024 does not make sense, you will have to buy ASIC equipment. However, ETH mining in the Efirium network is carried out on graphics chips.

Next, you need to choose a wallet, which will receive coins, as well as a mining pool and software to manage the process. A beginner will be helped by instructions on how to start mining cryptocurrency on a laptop step by step without leaving home.

What cryptocurrency can be mined

The choice of altcoin for mining depends on the manufacturer of the graphics chip, as well as the situation in the market of digital assets. During its growth, the mining of any coin can bring profit (in blockchains that limit the potential of ASICs). You should also choose light networks with low competition:

• Zcash. The cryptocurrency is used for anonymous transfers. The hashing algorithm is Equihash. The developers of the project protect the network from the use of ASIC devices. ZEC mining is possible on video cards (it is more efficient to use from NVIDIA).
• Ethereum Classic. The interest of miners to the coin increased after the change of algorithm in Ethereum. The Ethash algorithm is used in the network. ETH mining is carried out on graphics cards from AMD and NVIDIA.
• Dogecoin. Cryptocurrency created on the basis of Bitcoin. The method of hash selection is Scrypt. To mine DOGE, it is better to use graphics cards from AMD.
• Monero. The developers of the project created a network in which coins are mined only on processors and video cards. The algorithm of hash generation is RandomX.
• Vertcoin. ASIC-resistant coin that works on the Lyra2RE hashing method. VTC mining is effective on AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards.
• Bytecoin. The blockchain is created specifically for mining on graphics chips. The network uses the CryptoNight hashing algorithm.

Creating a wallet

Cryptocurrency vault – software that allows you to work with a private key to access digital assets in the blockchain network. Thanks to it, the miner receives the mined coins.

The wallet should be secure and easy to use. The most reliable programs are non-custodial (the private key is stored on the user’s side).

To choose the right wallet for mining, you need to learn about the support of the mined coin. Some allow you to store only Bitcoin or Efirium tokens, while other stores are multi-currency. The process of creating a wallet (using the Trust Wallet mobile app as an example):

1. First, you need to download it from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Agree to the privacy policy.
3. Write down a seed phrase of 12 words. It should be stored on a flash drive or paper. It will allow you to return the cryptocurrency in case you lose access to your account.

Trust Wallet is a non-custodial multi-currency mobile wallet from the Binance exchange, which has been operating since 2017. It supports over 160 thousand coins and tokens.

The most secure wallets are hardware wallets. They are created as separate devices that store the private key to the cryptocurrency.

Choosing a pool

Each miner is searching for a hash to sign the blockchain. The reward is taken by the first one to do so. However, there is high competition in most blockchains. Therefore, with weak computing hardware, it is not recommended to mine digital assets alone.

Provide stable earnings on a laptop allow pools. In them, users join together to jointly mine cryptocurrencies. The reward for each mined block is distributed among the participants. When choosing a mining pool, you need to take into account:

• Power. The higher the total hashrate, the more stable the profitability.
• Available cryptocurrencies. Some mining pools work with a specific coin, while others offer different digital assets for mining. Some services (for example, NiceHash) automatically switch participants to more profitable algorithms.
• Minimum withdrawal threshold. Sometimes you need to mine for 2-3 months to withdraw digital currency to reach it. However, some services send assets immediately to the user’s wallet.
• Security. It is recommended to study the pool, read reviews about its work.

The best programs for mining on a laptop

Connection to the pool is carried out through a special software that allows you to manage the process of mining cryptocurrencies. Such programs are separately created for mining on ASICs, video cards, processors, and are also configured for different algorithms of hash generation. Among them we can highlight:

• Nice Hash
• CGMiner
• MultiMiner
• BitMiner
• EasyMiner
• MinerGate
• Honeyminer

Nice Hash

The service offers services of mining pools, hashrate sale and purchase, yield calculator. The project supports 2 programs for crypto mining of various digital assets on video cards and processors: QuickMiner and Miner. They are installed on Windows operating environment. NiceHash products comparison – in the table below.

CGMiner

A console program created for bitcoin mining. But it can be customized to work with altcoins. The latest versions of the software allow you to use video cards from AMD. CGMiner is configured by entering the commands that are written in the Readme file. To increase the profitability of the miner, the program works on the NeoScrypt algorithm.

The main functions of CGMiner:

• Hardware overclocking.
• Tracking the cooling system.
• Disabling background applications that interfere with mining.
• Increasing hash rate via network scheduler.
• Reducing power consumption.
• Working via proxy.

MultiMiner

A popular cross-platform program for BCH, DASH and LTC mining. It allows you to quickly switch between hash generation methods. MultiMiner has few features and will suit users who need to start cryptocurrency mining easily. The software gives you the ability to connect to multiple mining pools to increase profits.

BitMinter

The program was created in 2011 for mining bitcoins on video cards. The project has its own pool and does not require downloading software to your computer. You can work with BitMinter on its official website. In 2024, it supports mining ETH, ETC, ZEC, XMR, LTC and other coins. Instructions for working with the program are on the project’s website. The commission when working with the mining pool is 1%.

EasyMiner

An open-source program for mining BTC, LTC, DOGE, XMR, ETH and other cryptocurrencies. Users can customize it at their own discretion. It is suitable for working alone and through a mining pool on processors and video cards. The application maintains real-time analytics (hash generation rate, number of invalid blocks, profit). EasyMiner is available on Windows system only.

MinerGate

This mining pool has been operating since 2014 and supports many cryptocurrencies for mining (Ethereum, Litecoin, Bytecoin, Zcash, Monero and others). MinerGate indicates that they have over 3.5 million users. The mining program is available on Windows, macOS and Ubuntu (Linux). It has a Smart Mining feature, with which the software automatically switches to mining profitable coins. The project also offers pool members a mobile app to track process metrics.

Honeyminer

The program automatically switches between blockchains to mine more profitable digital currencies. They are immediately converted into bitcoins on the built-in exchange and then paid out to the user’s wallet. You can download the program to your laptop from the project’s website.

Since October 16, 2021, Honeyminer has suspended its work. The developers said that they are preparing a new offer for users.

Profitability of mining on a laptop

The main goal of users who want to engage in cryptocurrency mining is to earn money. Therefore, novice miners are concerned about the question “how much you can earn”. The profitability of crypto mining on a laptop will be small. This is due to the low power of the equipment. The only method to earn more is to additionally connect video cards of an external type. Calculate the yield from the extraction of coins can be calculated in special services – mining calculators. Among them it is worth highlighting:

• NiceHash. Shows users the average value of earnings per day of other miners with certain equipment.
• WhatToMine. The user selects devices, enters the price of electricity and makes a calculation. The service will indicate the profitability of the configuration in different blockchain networks.
• CoinWarz. The service allows you to select mining equipment, specify its power consumption, electricity cost and the commission of the mining pool. After that, CoinWarz will show the average revenue per day.

Example of calculation

NiceHash is a popular service that calculates the profitability of mining digital assets. Therefore, it was taken for an example calculation. Initial values:

• Price of 1 kWh of electricity – ₽4.
• Laptop – ASUS ROG ROG Zephyrus M16 GU603ZX-K8053W (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 16Gb graphics card).
• The cost of the device is ₽135 thousand.

Such a configuration for crypto mining will bring on average ₽95.09 (on the NiceHash service). Mining for a month will turn out to be about ₽2.5 thousand.

The payback of the device is more than 5 years. That’s a long time: the laptop will fail faster than it will begin to bring a net profit.