Mining
Beginner
Updated 1/15/2025
What is
Miners?
Individuals or entities who use computing power to validate transactions, secure the Ergo network, and earn ERG rewards through the Autolykos Proof-of-Work algorithm.
Miners are participants who contribute computational power to the Ergo network, competing to solve cryptographic puzzles and create new blocks. When a miner successfully finds a valid block, they receive block rewards plus transaction fees from included transactions. Ergo uses the Autolykos 2 algorithm, which is memory-hard and designed to keep GPU mining viable. Profitability depends on hardware, electricity, network difficulty, pool fees, and ERG price.
Key Points
- Secure the network by contributing hash power
- Earn ERG through block rewards and transaction fees
- GPU mining with 4GB+ VRAM (ASIC-resistant)
- Can mine solo or join mining pools
- Current block reward: 3 ERG, plus tx fees and storage rent
- Play a key role in Ergo's decentralization
Use Cases
1
Earning passive income through ERG mining
2
Supporting network security and decentralization
3
Participating in Ergo's fair distribution model
4
Utilizing idle GPU hardware productively
5
Contributing to the ecosystem while earning rewards
Technical Details
Ergo miners run the Autolykos 2 algorithm which requires solving memory-hard puzzles using GPU VRAM. Popular mining software includes lolMiner, T-Rex, and Nanominer. Miners can join pools (Herominers, 2miners, Woolypooly) for consistent rewards or mine solo for full block rewards. The difficulty adjusts every epoch to maintain ~2 minute block times. Storage rent also provides miners with additional income from dormant boxes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about Miners
Common questions about this topic
How do miners earn money on Ergo?
Ergo miners earn from three sources: block rewards (newly minted ERG), transaction fees, and storage rent. Block rewards decrease over time according to the emission schedule, but storage rent ensures long-term income even after all ERG is mined. Most miners use pools for consistent payouts.
How-to
Mining
How to mine Ergo?
Ergo uses Autolykos v2, a memory-hard, ASIC-resistant PoW algorithm. You can mine with consumer GPUs (4GB+ VRAM). Steps: get a wallet, choose mining software (lolMiner, T-Rex, Nanominer), join a pool (Herominers, 2Miners, Nanopool), configure your miner with pool address and wallet. Solo mining is possible but pools provide steadier income.
How-to
Mining
What can I do with Ergo?
Ergo supports a broad ecosystem: use SigmaUSD, explore historical and current DeFi references, mix transactions with ErgoMixer where lawful, collect NFTs, mine with GPUs, bridge to other chains via Rosen, and build dApps with ErgoScript. Always verify current project status before sending funds to a third-party app.
Explainer
Getting Started
How do NFTs work on Ergo?
Ergo NFTs are native tokens with quantity of 1, making each unique. Unlike Ethereum where NFTs need smart contracts, Ergo NFTs are first-class protocol citizens. Mint for minimal fees (~0.001 ERG), trade on SkyHarbor marketplace, and enjoy full eUTXO security. NFTs can include rich metadata and royalties.
Explainer
Technology