Educational Post: What is cryptocurrency mining? Blockchain | APEX WHALE LIBRARY

Educational Post:

What is cryptocurrency mining?

Blockchain networks use mining to create and validate new blocks of transactions and secure the network. In the process, the so-called miners use significant amounts of computational resources to create new units of cryptocurrencies, increasing their existing circulating supply.

Bitcoin, Litecoin (LTC), and many other blockchain networks use the Proof of Work (PoW) consensus algorithm for cryptocurrency mining. PoW determines how a blockchain network reaches consensus across all the distributed participants without third-party intermediaries. In addition, it solves the double-spend problem, preventing the network participants from using the same funds more than once.

PoW promotes good network participation by design. Miners compete by solving complex cryptographic puzzles with mining hardware to win the right to mine the next block. The first miner to find a valid solution and confirm their block of transactions receive rewards. Therefore, the process requires effort and is expensive, but it offers compensation for the work.

PoW mining also makes a blockchain network more decentralized. A blockchain can function as a decentralized ledger because countless distributed computers (nodes) worldwide maintain it. Therefore rather than having a single database, these interconnected computers maintain a copy of the blockchain data and communicate with each other to continuously ensure the correct state of the blockchain.

However, it's also possible to disrupt a blockchain with a so-called 51% attack. While very unlikely, especially for the larger blockchain networks, a single entity or organization could, in theory, take over 50% of the network's computing power. That amount of mining power would let the attacker intentionally exclude or alter the ordering of transactions, also enabling them to reverse their own transactions.

Another potential issue regarding cryptocurrency mining relates to its sustainability and expenses. Cryptocurrency mining requires significant investment, not only in hardware but also in energy. As a result, many miners, especially those that mine bitcoin (BTC), consume massive amounts of electricity. In addition, if a miner doesn't have access to several mining rigs and cheap electricity, the mining will unlikely ever turn into a profit.

Mining also requires a certain degree of technical knowledge, especially when acquiring and setting up your mining equipment. It’s important to do your own research and understand the specifics of the cryptocurrency you want to mine. You will also need to set up a crypto wallet to receive potential mining rewards.