There has been a resurgence in the value of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, and they have a good long-term outlook. Even though cryptocurrencies remain unregulated for now, their overwhelming success is bringing them more and more into mainstream use. The reason behind the widespread adoption of cryptocurrencies is quite apparent; they are offering an unrivaled way of speeding up financial transactions and reducing transactional costs simultaneously. Therefore, it is not surprising that crypto mining has also heated up and the good thing is that anyone can engage in it, but it does need a bit of patience and knowledge.
If you are thinking of engaging in crypto mining and want to take the plunge, you will first have to set up your own hardware or mining rig and then connect to a mining pool. This can help you in sharing the resources of your hardware over the internet with other miners for mining the cryptocurrency of your choice and getting a share of profits in return. It also means that you don’t have to make an extremely hefty investment because you can share the resources of a mining pool. You can find a number of software programs that can be helpful in your mining endeavors. Their features and offerings vary and it is best to analyze them before you make a decision in order to opt for the best one according to your needs.
Some of the leading options you can explore are:
CGMiner
Even though it has been around for over six years, CGMiner still remains one of the top options and is coded in C, thereby making it compatible with nearly every operating system. It uses a simple command-line interface and supports various mining pools as well as devices. Even though this software has been developed primarily for working with hardware devices dedicated to mining, it can also work with the GPUs that are connected to your device.
When you first start using CGMiner, it will ask you to enter the URL, along with the username and password of the mining pool you want to use. The program will also detect any hardware that you may have connected, like an ASIC device. Even though you have to use the command line for working with CGMiner, it has a streamlined layout. The mining devices are listed at the top and there are straightforward keyboard commands that can be used to change settings, such as detecting new hardware and enabling verbose mode.
Awesome Miner
Some software’s are designed for catering to casual miners, but Awesome Miner is one that’s aimed at those who have a large mining operation. It can facilitate up to 25,000 GPU/CPU miners and 200,000 ASIC miners. This means that there aren’t many large enough operations that this software cannot handle. Centralized management is the goal to ensure maximum efficiency, which leads to profitability. The software also helps users track their profits, as it can track real-time power consumption and revenue.
Awesome Miner also boasts automatic recovery in case of downtime and this can ensure seamless mining. If you are unable to decide which mining pools to join, the software also comes with a benchmark feature that can come in handy for this purpose. Some of the additional features that you will find at Awesome Miner include easy setup and the option of simultaneously joining multiple mining pools. It tracks the hashing power of every machine, along with its production, in real-time and provides a total of both variables. In fact, the software also boasts optimization for the Antiminer firmware and the Antminer S17 ASIC can give 40% improved performance.
BFGMiner
This particular program is based upon CGMiner but has been designed specifically for ASIC mining hardware. Its compatibility with FGPA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) devices is an appealing feature and can also work with some graphic cards. Even though BFGMiner does have a narrow focus, its features are such that they empower the users to tinker with their crypto mining devices. This includes remote interface capabilities and dynamic overclocking. Most devices also come with temperature monitoring and you can also connect the BFGMiner with several mining pools.
In addition, you will find that BFGMiner is intelligent enough to not connect with mining pools that are unreachable, which can enhance profitability and save precious system resources. It does have a text-based interface, but the options are laid out quite well, similar to CGMiner. You can use hotkeys for performing all routine tasks, which include identifying devices, monitoring pools, and enabling extra features. Not only does it offer a simple text interface, but BFGMiner also has features by the ton available. You can use it for Windows, along with different flavors of Linux. In fact, it is even possible to install the program on a Raspberry Pi.
EasyMiner
Since it serves as a graphical frontend, EasyMiner can simplify mining significantly. Running ‘Easy Miner’ for the first time will put you in ‘Money Maker’ mode, which allows you to create a paper Litecoin wallet automatically and begin mining straight away with a private mining pool. However, you should bear in mind that even though this is undoubtedly very convenient, you may not be able to make a lot of profits, especially if the current difficulty rate continues to persist.
The interface of the dashboard is very slick, as it enables you to view your wallet, amend any network settings and configure the mining pools. The settings feature can also come in handy for enabling ASIC hardware like an Antminer. Once you have done so, all you need to do is click on the ‘Start Mining’ option to get started.
There is also a console included in EasyMiner that informs you about the progress of CPUMiner (minerd.exe) and CGMiner (cgminer.exe). These are used to mine Litecoin and Bitcoin by default, respectively. If you are just interested in mining bitcoin, you will not find an easy way of switching off CPUMiner. This software is considered a rather user-friendly approach for beginning your crypto mining journey.