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Yes—a Nintendo Game Boy was made to calculate Bitcoin proof-of-work hashes in a 2021 demonstration. It was not a practical way to mine Bitcoin: the Game Boy did the hashing, while a Raspberry Pi Pico bridged its link cable to a PC that handled the network connection. The creator’s video labels a segment “Testchain”; the available evidence does not establish a Bitcoin mainnet block or payout.
What the Game Boy Bitcoin mining demonstration showed
On 27 March 2021, hardware-hacking creator stacksmashing published a video titled “Mining Bitcoin on the Game Boy.” The video description calls it an attempt to mine Bitcoin on an original Game Boy using a Raspberry Pi Pico as a link-cable-to-USB adapter. Its timeline includes a segment labeled “Testchain,” which is important: this was a demonstration of the setup, not evidence that the Game Boy mined a spendable Bitcoin on the live network. Watch the stacksmashing demonstration.
Tom’s Hardware and Hackaday described the project shortly afterward. Their accounts explain how the hardware was connected and how the workload was split between the handheld and the PC. Tom’s Hardware’s 28 March 2021 report and Hackaday’s 1 April 2021 summary provide those details.
How the setup worked
The Game Boy did not connect directly to the Bitcoin network. It calculated hashes; other components moved data between the handheld and a network-connected computer.
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- Game Boy and ROM: A custom program ran on the original handheld from a flash cartridge. The Game Boy performed the hashing calculations.
- Modified link cable: A modified Nintendo Game Link Cable carried data between the handheld and the bridge hardware.
- Raspberry Pi Pico: The Pico connected the link cable to USB and relayed communication to the host PC. It was a communications bridge, not the device doing the Game Boy’s hashing.
- Level shifter: Tom’s Hardware reported that the cable used 5V logic and the Pico used 3.3V, so the build included a four-channel bidirectional level shifter.
- PC and Bitcoin software: The PC supplied internet access, communicated with the Bitcoin network, and managed work sent to the handheld and results returned from it.
The software repository, ntgbtminer on GitHub, includes testnet instructions. The exact circuit, component models, and compatibility details should be verified against the creator’s build resources before attempting to reproduce the hardware; the broad component list alone is not a complete wiring guide.
Why it was not a practical Bitcoin miner
Tom’s Hardware reported that the Game Boy’s Sharp LR35902 processor runs at 4.18 MHz and that the project achieved about 0.8 hashes per second. In the same 2021 article, the publication cited modern ASIC miners reaching up to 100 terahashes per second. Those rounded, historical figures imply a gap of roughly 125 trillion to one. They are reported estimates from 2021, not an independent benchmark or a comparison with current ASIC hardware.
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![Nintendo Game Boy - Original (Gray) (Renewed) [video game]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41hTQ10ouWL._SL160_.jpg)
- Unlike modern handheld consoles, the GB Original does not have a back light and is best used in a well lit room or under a lamp.
The article’s “couple quadrillion years” figure was an illustrative calculation, not a measured wait or a promise of a payout. Bitcoin mining requires finding a valid proof of work under the network’s difficulty rules; a demonstration on a test chain or testnet can show that a device processes and returns work without proving it could find a live-network block. Neither the video’s test-chain segment nor the repository’s testnet instructions establish a mainnet payout.
What you would need to recreate the project
The documented build used a flash cartridge for the custom ROM, a modified Game Link Cable, a Raspberry Pi Pico, a level shifter, and a PC with network access. The Pico is the clearest individual board identified in the project, but it is only one part of the system and requires suitable firmware and interface components.
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- Original Game Boy and a compatible flash cartridge
- Custom ROM and the project’s mining software
- Modified Game Link Cable and an appropriate connection to the Pico
- Logic-level shifting hardware for the reported 5V and 3.3V signals
- Raspberry Pi Pico and a USB-connected PC with network access
The cited coverage does not establish current availability, prices, or specific compatible models for these parts. Treat this as a retrocomputing and software experiment, not a parts list guaranteed to work as assembled.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the project is useful for
The demonstration is a memorable way to explore how proof-of-work calculations can be split from networking and how older hardware can exchange data with modern systems. Its value is educational and technical: it makes an extremely inefficient computing task visible on familiar retro hardware. It is not a sensible income strategy, and the reported Game Boy hash rate should not be mistaken for mining capability comparable to dedicated hardware.
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Best Value
- Original Game Boy
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- Unlike Modern Handheld Consoles, The Gb Color Does Not Have A Back Light And Is Best Used In A Well Lit Room Or Under A Lamp.
- Product Type-Video Game Hardware
- Package Quantity-1
- Package Weight-0.440924524 Lbs
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