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Litecoin (LTC) is one of the oldest altcoins with an easy mining process compared to Bitcoin. It is a hard fork of Bitcoin, which makes it also an open-source P2P digital currency and shares many similar features of Bitcoin.
Litecoin mining does not involve ASIC equipment as it works based on the Scrypt protocol. It shares the secure nature of Bitcoin and less price volatility along with having an easy mining process. Mining Litecoin is the best option because it is widely accepted with less volatility. It is also one of the rare cryptocurrencies with almost zero transaction fees.
| Hashing algorithm | Scrypt |
| Network hashrate | 9500 MH/s |
| Block time | 2.5 minutes |
| Block reward | 6.25 LTC |
Similar to how Litecoin is a hard fork of Bitcoin, Ethereum Classic is a hard fork of Ethereum blockchain. It is actually the original blockchain of the Ethereum network that is still continuing after a network hack happened in 2016.
Ethereum Classic has an easy mining process that helps you mine ETC at home using a mining algorithm called Etc Hash. All you need to have is a powerful GPU and a crypto wallet to start mining ETC. Ethereum Classic mining is beneficial as it shares all the features of Ethereum such as smart contract and dApps capability with real world use cases.
| Hashing algorithm | Etc Hash |
| Network hashrate | 31.40 TH/s |
| Block time | 15 seconds |
| Block reward | 2.56 ETC |
Monero (XMR) is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency that works based on CryptoNote protocol. Unlike other cryptocurrencies, Monero blockchain does not show transaction details like amounts and balances. It is the next best cryptocurrency to mine with an easy process to mine XMR coins.
Monero uses the RandomX hash function to solve complex mathematical problems and mine XMR coins. Even though you can mine Monero using CPUs, GPUs will be more efficient as they have a high hash rate to find a new block. But if you would like to mine using CPUs, you need to install dedicated softwares such as XMRig or CSMiner.
| Hashing algorithm | RandomX |
| Network hashrate | 54 KH/s |
| Block time | 2 minutes |
| Block reward | 0.65 XMR |
ZCash is another popular cryptocurrency that focuses on protecting privacy and providing efficient payment transfers. It was developed based on Bitcoin’s open source code but with a simplified mining process.
It is easy to mine ZCash since the blockchain does not require ASIC equipment. It is best for beginners to join mining pools to mine ZCash so that they can get a steady pay. But, if you would like to start solo mining, you need to use softwares like EWBF ZCash Miner.
| Hashing algorithm | Equihash |
| Network hashrate | 6.94 GS/s |
| Block time | 75 seconds |
| Block reward | 3.125 ZEC |
The next easiest cryptocurrency to mine is the Raven Coin (RVN). It is one of the Bitcoin hard forks, developed in 2018 to improve the block reward times and the easy accessibility to transfer crypto assets.
With the help of a Full Asset Aware Protocol Level System, RavenCoin was developed to improve upon the limitations of Bitcoin. It also has an ASIC-resistant mining process and you can mine RVN using CPUs and GPUs. To start mining RVN, you need to have softwares like BMiner, NBMiner, and DamoMiner, the RavenCoin wallet, and a graphic card.
| Hashing algorithm | KawPoW |
| Network hashrate | 6.43 TH/s |
| Block time | 1 minute |
| Block reward | 5,000 RVN |
Bitcoin Gold (BTG) is another Bitcoin hard fork developed to enhance the decentralized nature of Bitcoin blockchain. However, unlike Bitcoin, you do need expensive hardware equipment to mine BTG coins.
BTG mining is the best option for miners as they do not require ASICs or heavy mining rigs. It specifically uses the Equihash algorithm to restrict ASIC miners to participate and increase the mining difficulty. To mine BTG, you can use GPUs, or you can also join mining pools to increase the possibility of gaining profits.
| Hashing algorithm | Equihash-BTG |
| Network hashrate | 4.90 MS/s |
| Block time | 10 minutes |
| Block reward | 6.25 BTG |
Dogecoin (DOGE) is one of the top meme coin in crypto industry and is supported by influential people such as Elon Musk and Mark Cuban. Though it was started based on a meme with no purpose, it is now one of the top 10 cryptocurrencies in the industry.
DOGE also has an easy mining process and allows you to mine both on CPUs and GPUs. However, CPUs do not help you with faster mining like GPUs. You need to install softwares like GUIMiner, CGMiner or Cuda Miner to mine Dogecoin on AMD and Nvidia graphic cards. If you would like to have more mining power and speeds to generate maximum returns, it is a best choice to join mining pools.
| Hashing algorithm | Scrypt |
| Network hashrate | 1.23 PH/s |
| Block time | 1 minute |
| Block reward | 10,000 DOGE |
Grin (GRIN) is an open-source and community-driven blockchain. Being a minimalistic cryptocurrency, it implements the Mimblewimble protocol with focus on privacy and scalability.
Grin also has the easiest process to mine GRIN tokens using CPUs and GPUs. The blockchain is designed in such a way that it does not support any ASIC miners. In fact, it implements hard forks every 6 months to avoid any ASICs that might be developed specifically for Grin blockchain. To mine GRIN tokens, you must have the Cuckaroo PoW software and Nvidia Graphic cards are effective to mine Grin.
| Hashing algorithm | CuckatooC32 |
| Network hashrate | 7.85 KG/s |
| Block time | 1 minute |
| Block reward | 60 GRIN |
The next best and most viable cryptocurrency for small miners is the Vertcoin (VTC). Though the cryptocurrency is similar to Litecoin and Bitcoin, it has a much simpler mining process. Vertcoin is explicitly created to reduce the influence of ASICs and increase accessibility of mining.
Vertcoin is also ASIC-resistant and supports CPU and GPU mining. The mining algorithm works based on the Lyra2RE mechanism, which allows participants to mine VTC within a single click. It also focuses on eliminating the monopoly of mining pools and supports solo mining on PCs with its Vertcoin One-Click Miner software.
| Hashing algorithm | Lyra2RE |
| Network hashrate | 2.36 GH/s |
| Block time | 2.5 minute |
| Block reward | 12.5 VTC |
Conclusion
Cryptocurrency mining has evolved throughout the years with innovations and developments in the space. As opposed to the popular notion of requiring ASICs to mine cryptocurrencies, all the above listed cryptocurrencies provide an easy mining process. High initial costs, and expertise to set up the equipment combined with recurring maintenance costs made the mining process unaffordable for many enthusiasts.
However, the scenario is changing with some of the easiest cryptocurrencies to mine at home without any special equipment. From the above list, choose the cryptocurrency based on the availability of hardware and software and start mining at home!
