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Best Crypto to Mine (2026)
Last updated: April 2026
Mining cryptocurrency remains a viable way to earn crypto, though profitability varies significantly by coin, hardware, and electricity costs. We evaluated mineable coins on profitability, hardware requirements, liquidity, and long-term potential.
The original proof-of-work cryptocurrency and largest by market cap. Requires specialized ASIC hardware but offers the most liquid and established mining ecosystem.
Pros
- +Most valuable and liquid mined coin
- +Established mining infrastructure
- +Predictable halving schedule
Cons
- -High ASIC hardware costs
- -Dominated by large mining operations
- -High electricity requirements
Uses the Scrypt algorithm which requires different ASIC hardware than Bitcoin. Lower entry costs and consistent mining rewards make it accessible to mid-scale operations.
Pros
- +Lower hardware costs than Bitcoin mining
- +Established and liquid
- +Merged mining with Dogecoin possible
Cons
- -Lower value than Bitcoin
- -Still requires ASIC hardware
- -Declining block rewards
BlockDAG-based cryptocurrency with fast block times and growing ASIC mining ecosystem. One of the most profitable GPU and ASIC mineable coins with strong community.
Pros
- +High profitability potential
- +Growing ecosystem and adoption
- +Fast block confirmation times
Cons
- -Newer project with less track record
- -ASIC development changing GPU mining viability
- -Volatile profitability
Privacy-focused cryptocurrency mineable with regular CPUs using the RandomX algorithm. ASIC-resistant design keeps mining accessible to individual participants.
Pros
- +CPU mining viable
- +ASIC-resistant algorithm
- +Strong privacy features add demand
Cons
- -Regulatory risk due to privacy features
- -Delisted from some exchanges
- -Lower profitability per unit of hardware
UTXO-based smart contract platform using the Autolykos v2 GPU-mineable algorithm. Popular among GPU miners post-Ethereum merge with active DeFi development.
Pros
- +GPU mineable with consumer cards
- +Growing DeFi ecosystem
- +Fair launch with no pre-mine
Cons
- -Smaller market cap and liquidity
- -Less exchange support
- -Profitability fluctuates
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is crypto mining still profitable?
Mining profitability depends on electricity costs, hardware efficiency, and coin prices. With cheap electricity (under $0.06/kWh), Bitcoin ASIC mining can be profitable. GPU mining is less consistently profitable but offers flexibility to mine different coins. Always calculate expected costs versus revenue using mining profitability calculators before investing in hardware.
Can I mine crypto on my regular computer?
Monero can be CPU-mined on regular computers, though profits are modest. GPU mining requires dedicated graphics cards. Bitcoin and Litecoin require specialized ASIC hardware that cannot be used for other purposes. Mining on a laptop or office computer is generally not profitable after electricity costs.
What about mining pools?
Mining pools combine hashpower from many miners to find blocks more frequently, distributing rewards proportionally. Solo mining is impractical for most miners due to the time between finding blocks. Major pools include Foundry, Antpool, and F2Pool for Bitcoin, with similar options for other coins.