Mining

In short

Mining secures Bitcoin: specialized computers compete to solve puzzles; the winner writes the next block and earns new bitcoin plus fees as a reward.

The huge energy use is not a side effect but the security mechanism — an attack would cost more computing power than honest mining earns.

Is home mining still worth it?

For Bitcoin, practically no — professional farms with cheap electricity dominate.

Information, not investment advice. More of this? The newsletter.