Topic

What is crypto mining?

By Joshua Baskin, founder · Reviewed October 30, 2026 · Sources

Quick fact 1
Miners bundle transactions into blocks and compete to find a valid proof of work.
Source: Bitcoin Developer Guide, Block Chain
Quick fact 2
Bitcoin adjusts mining difficulty every 2,016 blocks to keep blocks about 10 minutes apart.
Source: Bitcoin Developer Guide, Block Chain
Quick fact 3
Ethereum stopped mining in 2022 when it switched to proof of stake.
Source: ethereum.org, Proof-of-work

How Bitcoin mining adds a block

Education only. Not investment advice. We do not pick coins.

The short lesson

Mining is how Bitcoin confirms transactions. Computers called miners race to solve a hard math puzzle. The winner adds the next block of transactions to the blockchain and earns new bitcoin plus the fees.

This system is called proof of work. Because rewriting history would need more computing power than everyone else combined, it makes the record very hard to fake.

What to know:

It uses a lot of electricity and special hardware. Home mining rarely covers its costs.
Not every coin is mined. Ethereum stopped mining in 2022 and uses proof of stake.
"Cloud mining" offers are a common scam. Paying someone to mine for you with promised daily returns is a classic red flag.

Lesson game · earn XP

Check yourself: 3 quick questions

Perfect score = combo bonus. Each question returns in your spaced-repetition review.

Memory · spaced repetition

Flashcards: lock it in

Flip each card, then say if you knew it. Missed cards come back sooner.

Common questions

Can I mine Bitcoin on my phone?

Not in any meaningful way. Apps that claim to are usually scams or games.

Why does mining make Bitcoin secure?

Changing past blocks would mean redoing the work faster than the rest of the network.

Reviewed and sources

Written and reviewed by Joshua Baskin, founder. Last reviewed October 30, 2026. How we check facts · Report an error