Anyone can still mine. Plug a machine into the network, join a mining pool, and you earn a share of the rewards. The question is whether it pays.
The maths (own calculation, 23 Oct 2026)
One TH/s earned about 42 sats a day from the subsidy, roughly $0.034. An average machine (28.2 J/TH, CCAF 2024) uses about 0.68 kWh a day per TH/s. At a household price of $0.10/kWh that costs $0.068 – twice the income. Industrial miners pay far less for power.
Why people do it anyway
- Heat: a miner turns almost all its power into heat. In a cold climate, a miner can replace an electric heater: you pay for heat you needed anyway and get some sats back.
- Non-KYC coins: mined sats do not pass through an exchange.
- Decentralisation: more small miners mean less dependence on large pools.
- Learning: nothing teaches proof of work like running it.
Practical cautions
- Many ASICs are loud and need a dedicated circuit.
- Check your electricity contract and local rules.
- Small "lottery" miners almost never find a block alone; treat them as a hobby.
Not financial advice.