Since Ethereum (ETH) completed the historic “The Merge” upgrade, many miners have been asking the same question: “Have my mining rigs become useless? Can Ethereum still be mined?” If you have the same concerns and worry that your investment might go to waste, this article is written for you. This guide explores the reality of mining after the Ethereum Merge and introduces a practical alternative: ETC mining. From hardware selection to profitability calculations, you will learn step by step how to find a new path and allow your equipment to generate value again.
Simply put, the underlying mechanism of the Ethereum network has completely changed. Previously, when people “mined” with GPUs, they were providing computational power to the network to verify transactions and generate new blocks. This process is known as Proof of Work (PoW). After the Merge, however, everything changed.
In order to improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption, the Ethereum network has fully transitioned from the PoW consensus mechanism to “Proof of Stake” (PoS). Under the PoS model, network security no longer relies on miners competing with computational power. Instead, it is maintained by validators who stake a certain amount of ETH. Validators are randomly selected to create new blocks and verify transactions. If they perform correctly, they receive rewards. If they behave maliciously, their staked ETH may be slashed. This shift means that the traditional mining model, which required significant electricity and computational power, is no longer applicable to the Ethereum main network. To learn more about the differences between these mechanisms, you can refer to “PoS vs. PoW: Why ADA Staking Is More Energy Efficient and Effective”.
The most direct impact of “The Merge” for miners is that GPU hash power on the Ethereum main network effectively became worthless overnight. All mining rewards, including block rewards and gas fees, are now distributed to validators under the PoS system. The income stream for PoW miners has officially ended. In other words, regardless of how powerful your mining rig is, you can no longer mine new tokens on the Ethereum (ETH) chain.
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Although the Ethereum main network (ETH) is no longer mineable, this does not mean your mining equipment must sit idle. Many experienced miners have already transitioned to a project closely related to Ethereum: Ethereum Classic (Ethereum Classic, ETC). ETC originated from the original Ethereum chain following the DAO hard fork in 2016. Unlike Ethereum, it continues to use the PoW consensus mechanism. This makes it one of the most natural alternatives for miners after the Ethereum Merge. Below is a step by step ETC mining tutorial.
The good news is that most devices previously used to mine ETH can be easily redirected to mine ETC, since both networks use the Ethash algorithm. The hardware requirements mainly include:
The ETC you mine must be stored in a secure wallet. Never mine directly to a cryptocurrency exchange deposit address, because frequent small deposits may be flagged as abnormal activity by exchanges. It is recommended to use a non custodial wallet instead:
Regardless of the wallet you choose, the most important step is to carefully back up your seed phrase and store it in a secure offline location!
Mining alone (known as solo mining), has a probability of discovering a block that is almost like winning a lottery. Therefore, most miners join mining pools, combining computational power and sharing rewards according to their contributions. When choosing a mining pool, consider the following factors:
Popular ETC Mining Pools to Consider:
| Pool Name | Fee | Features |
| Ethermine | 1% | One of the largest mining pools globally, known for high stability and a user-friendly interface. |
| F2Pool | 2.5% | A long-established comprehensive mining pool that supports mining for multiple cryptocurrencies. |
| Poolin | 2% PPS+ | Offers multiple payment schemes with relatively stable earnings. |
Mining software acts as the bridge connecting your mining rig to the mining pool. Different GPUs often perform best with different software. Common options include:
The setup process is generally similar across software. Usually, you only need to modify a .bat or .sh file. Below is a generic Gminer configuration example (using the Ethermine pool as an example):
miner.exe –algo etchash –server asia1-etc.ethermine.org:4444 –user YOUR_ETC_WALLET_ADDRESS.YOUR_WORKER_NAME
pause
You need to replace YOUR_ETC_WALLET_ADDRESS with your own ETC wallet address. YOUR_WORKER_NAME can be anything, for example Rig001. After saving the file, double-click to run it. If you see many green “Accepted share” messages, congratulations, your mining operation has successfully started!
The ultimate goal of switching to ETC mining is profitability. However, before getting started, you should carefully evaluate both costs and potential returns to determine whether it is a worthwhile investment opportunity.
Manual calculations can be complicated? Fortunately, many professional mining profitability calculators are available online. You simply need to input several key parameters:
The tool will then calculate estimated daily, weekly, and monthly gross revenue, electricity expenses, and final net profit based on the current ETC price, network difficulty, and block rewards.
Common Mining Profitability Tools:
Mining profits are not always as attractive as they appear. Several hidden costs and risks must be considered:
A: Absolutely! As long as your GPU has at least 4GB of VRAM, it can mine ETC without issues. Since both ETH and ETC use the Ethash algorithm (or its variant Etchash), your hardware can transition almost seamlessly. You only need to change the wallet address and mining pool configuration.
A: Yes. After the Ethereum Merge, a large amount of mining power was needed to find new networks. In addition to ETC, several PoW cryptocurrencies have absorbed part of that hashrate, such as Ravencoin (RVN), Flux (FLUX), and Ergo (ERG). However, these projects generally have smaller market capitalization and weaker consensus compared with ETC, which means higher risk. It is recommended to use tools like WhatToMine to compare mining profitability across different coins based on your hardware.
A: The main differences lie in efficiency, cost, and flexibility. ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits) are machines designed for specific algorithms, so their efficiency in mining ETC (hashrate-to-power ratio) is much higher than that of GPUs. However, the drawback is that they are expensive, and once ETC mining is no longer profitable, the machine has almost no other practical use. In contrast, although GPUs are less efficient, they offer greater flexibility. If they are no longer used for mining, they can still be resold to gamers or used for other computing tasks, giving them stronger value retention.
A: This depends on the laws and regulations of your country or region. In many jurisdictions, cryptocurrency obtained through mining is treated as income and may be subject to income tax. When you later sell the cryptocurrency, the profit may also be subject to capital gains tax. It is strongly recommended to consult a local tax professional to understand your legal obligations.
Although the golden age of Ethereum mining has ended after the Merge, this does not mean the end for miners who still own PoW equipment. Instead, it marks the beginning of a new chapter. Through this detailed ETC mining tutorial, you can see that switching to Ethereum Classic is a practical and viable option. With proper research and careful evaluation of costs and risks, your mining journey can continue in the post-Merge era while still capturing opportunities in the blockchain ecosystem.
