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Blockchain mining algorithms are proof-of-work computations: miners spend computing resources to find a valid candidate block proof, while other participants should be able to verify it much more cheaply. The exact algorithm belongs to a particular network and can change; not every blockchain uses mining. Bitcoin uses proof of work, while Ethereum Mainnet’s former Ethash mining ended when it switched to proof of stake.
What a blockchain mining algorithm does
In proof of work, a miner repeatedly performs a computation until it finds a result that meets the network’s rule. The resulting proof lets other participants check the work without repeating the search. Monero’s documentation describes the key design goal: “The requirement for a proof of work scheme is strong asymmetry for work vs verification resources.” (Monero Docs, Proof of Work, accessed 2026.)
Mining algorithms differ in the kind of work they demand—such as repeated hashing or memory-intensive access—and therefore in the hardware that can perform that work efficiently. Algorithm properties do not, by themselves, establish which networks use an algorithm today, whether a coin is profitable to mine, or whether a particular machine is suitable.
How the main examples compare
| Algorithm or network example | Work and resource demands | Verification | Specialized hardware | Current status in the named network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin proof of work | Repeated cryptographic hashing of a block header while varying a nonce or other header fields to seek a hash below the target. The cited guide does not characterize it as memory-intensive. (Bitcoin Developer Guide) | Check that the resulting hash meets the target; this is much cheaper than searching for it. | The cited guide does not specify hardware models or establish desktop suitability. | Bitcoin’s consensus includes proof of work. |
| Ethash on Ethereum Mainnet | Memory-hard work involving random reads from a nonce- and header-dependent dataset called a DAG. The dataset was updated every 30,000 blocks. (Ethereum.org Ethash documentation) | Proof verification is less resource-intensive than mining; the cited documentation does not provide a comparable numeric verification cost. | Ethash ASICs were eventually developed; GPU mining remained viable until Ethereum turned mining off. “ASIC-resistant” was not a permanent guarantee. | Historical on Ethereum Mainnet: it no longer mines blocks. |
Bitcoin: target-based hash searching
Bitcoin miners search for a block-header hash below a target threshold. They can change the nonce and other header fields to generate new attempts. As the Bitcoin Developer Guide explains, difficulty adjusts every 2,016 blocks, aiming for a two-week interval based on timestamps. Chaining blocks means that changing earlier history requires reproducing the work for later blocks as well. These protocol mechanics do not show that mining is practical on an ordinary desktop or predict its profitability.
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Ethash: Ethereum’s former mining algorithm
Ethash was the proof-of-work algorithm actually used on Ethereum Mainnet. Dagger-Hashimoto was an earlier research implementation, not the Mainnet mining algorithm. Ethash’s DAG and random memory accesses made memory capacity and bandwidth important to mining hardware. Over time, however, specialized Ethash ASICs were developed, so the design’s memory-hardness should not be treated as a guarantee against ASICs. (Ethereum.org Ethash documentation; Ethereum.org, The Merge.)
Ethereum Mainnet switched off proof of work and is secured by proof of stake. Ethash is therefore a historical answer to what Ethereum Mainnet used to mine with, not an algorithm for mining current Ethereum Mainnet blocks. Ethereum.org notes that some other proof-of-work networks still use Ethash, but that documentation does not establish a current list of those networks.
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What algorithm labels do—and do not—tell you
- They describe a network’s proof-of-work computation. They are not the same thing as a transaction hash function, a signature algorithm, or a consensus mechanism in general.
- They can inform hardware compatibility. Hash-focused work and memory-intensive work stress different resources, but the algorithm name alone does not identify a specific compatible product or its performance.
- They do not establish present-day adoption. A network can change its consensus or stop using mining, as Ethereum Mainnet did.
- They do not establish profitability. That depends on the current network, equipment, and operating conditions; no comparable profitability figures are established here.
This comparison covers Bitcoin proof of work and Ethereum Mainnet’s former Ethash use, not every mining algorithm. Other names require their own network-specific and current verification before their characteristics or adoption can be stated.
Quick Recap
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