In the early days of Bitcoin, it was possible to mine the cryptocurrency with a regular old desktop computer. Nowadays, though, mining Bitcoin is mostly done with specialized equipment called ASICs, which are purpose-built machines designed for mining Bitcoin. But what if you want to mine Bitcoin with a USB stick?
Is it possible?
The short answer is yes, it is possible to mine Bitcoin with a USB stick. However, it’s not very practical and you’re not going to make much money doing it.
Here’s a more detailed look at why that is and how you can go about mining Bitcoin with a USB stick if you’re really set on doing it.
The reason mining Bitcoin with a USB stick isn’t practical has to do with the way mining works. In order to earn rewards for mining Bitcoin, your computer needs to be the one that solves a mathematical problem first.
The problem is so difficult that it would take a regular computer years to solve it.
However, the mathematical problems associated with mining are specially designed so that they can be solved by computers that are designed for mining, like ASICs. These computers can solve the problems much faster than regular computers, which is why they’re the preferred choice for miners.
ASICs also consume a lot less electricity than regular computers, which is another reason they’re better suited for mining.
So what does all of this have to do with USB sticks? Well, ASICs are expensive and require a lot of electricity to run. USB sticks, on the other hand, are relatively inexpensive and don’t use much electricity.
This might make you think that USB sticks are a good option for mining Bitcoin, but there’s a catch. Because they’re not as powerful as ASICs, they will take longer to solve the mathematical problems associated with mining.
This means that you’re not likely to earn many rewards for mining with a USB stick.
In fact, you might not earn any rewards at all. And even if you do earn rewards, they probably won’t be enough to cover the cost of electricity needed to power the USB stick.
So unless you’re doing it just for fun or out of curiosity, we wouldn’t recommend mining Bitcoin with a USB stick.