For a deeper understanding of the mining process, it is important to know what equipment is needed and how to prepare the appropriate conditions for it.

Please note: for effective BTC mining, specialised hardware is required today.

Why ASIC miners are necessary for Bitcoin

Bitcoin mining can no longer be carried out using graphics cards (GPUs) or standard processors (CPUs). Today, the network relies exclusively on ASIC miners - specialised hardware designed specifically for efficient BTC mining.

ASIC is a term that stands for “Application-Specific Integrated Circuit”. This means that the chips in these devices are designed and optimised to perform only one specific task. In the case of BTC, this is the calculation of hashes using the SHA-256 algorithm.

The advantage is that ASICs do this one task incredibly quickly and efficiently compared to general-purpose devices like GPUs or CPUs. The difference in performance and energy efficiency is so significant that mining Bitcoin on anything other than ASICs has long been unprofitable. For example, in WhitePool, you will need an ASIC to mine BTC. 

Briefly about the main parameters of ASICs 

Choosing the “right” ASIC is an important decision that affects the potential profit. We recommend paying attention to the following parameters:

Hashrate

This is an indicator of the speed at which mining hardware (ASIC miner) performs calculations (searches through hashes) to solve the Proof-of-Work task.

For modern ASIC miners working with Bitcoin, the main unit of measurement is terahashes per second (TH/s). The higher the hashrate, the more calculations the device performs per second.

Power Consumption

This is an indicator of how much power a device consumes, measured in Watts (W). Modern ASICs can consume 3000-3500 W and even more. This is a key factor in operating costs.

Energy Efficiency

The most important indicator for long-term profitability. This is the ratio of power consumption to hashrate, measured in Joules per Terahash (J/Th).
 

The lower the value, the better — it means that the ASIC performs more computations for every watt of power consumed. Sometimes, a model with a slightly lower hashrate but significantly better energy efficiency can be more profitable.

Price

The price of the device itself is an obvious factor when choosing. It can vary greatly depending on the model, newness and condition (new or used).

Manufacturer and Model

The market is dominated by several large manufacturers. The most famous are Bitmain (Antminer series) and MicroBT (Whatsminer series).

Your choice should be a balance between these characteristics, especially considering the cost of your electricity. What is profitable with cheap electricity can be unprofitable with expensive electricity.

You have ASIC, what else do you need to consider?

Before connecting the ASIC to the network, you need to prepare an appropriate place for it. It is specialised equipment that cannot be simply plugged into a socket in the living room..

Electricity supply

Make sure that your electrical wiring can withstand the high power load. A voltage of 220V and a dedicated line with appropriate circuit breakers are often required.
 

Please note: each modern ASIC miner accounts for 3-4 kW.
 

Powerful power supplies (PSUs) are required, often bundled with the ASIC or sold separately.

Cooling and Ventilation

ASICs generate a huge amount of heat. Without proper cooling, they will overheat, reducing their performance and service ability. Good ventilation and a constant supply of cool air are required.

Noise

ASICs are equipped with powerful fans that run at high speeds for cooling. The noise level is comparable to a vacuum cleaner or even louder. Residential premises are categorically not suitable for the operation of this type of device.
 

The best option is to use specialised soundproofing boxes or hosting services, but for starters, there will be enough space in the garage, basement, or balcony (keep in mind the climate and neighbours).

Connecting to the network

A stable wired internet connection (Ethernet) is required. High speed is not as important as stability and low latency (ping) to the mining pool servers.

Introduction to the ASIC setting interface

Once you have physically installed the ASIC and connected it to power and the internet, you will need to do some initial setup.
 

Most ASIC miners have a built-in web interface. To access it, you need to find out the IP address of the miner in your local network (usually with the help of special IP address scanner software or through the interface of your router).
 

After logging in to the web interface via a browser, you will be able to perform basic settings, the main of which is connecting to the mining pool you have chosen.
 

Choosing the right ASIC miner and carefully preparing the space are critical steps that directly affect the success and profitability of mining. It is important to evaluate your capabilities in terms of power supply, cooling, noise level, and, of course, electricity cost before purchasing expensive equipment to save time and ensure comfortable mining in the future.

Support

In case of any questions related to the functionality of our exchange, you can:

• Leave a request on our website;
• Write to the support email: support@whitebit.com;
• Write to the chat using the button in the lower right corner of the screen (in the upper right corner of the WhiteBIT app, click ).