Forget about mining popular cryptocurrencies. I have a stack of 30 laptops that I tried mining on. These "crocodiles" consumed so much electricity, far more than they ever earned anything substantial.
The only way it could work is if someone gifts you a phone farm and you don’t have to pay for electricity — but I think that only happens in fairy tales.
The only viable methods today are:
- Mining some little-known tokens and hoping they’ll rise in value.
- Mining on servers. The forum rules forbid going into detail; I’ll only say it can be profitable in a sense, BUT only if you use certain tricks to avoid paying the full server rental cost (I am not encouraging breaking the law in any way. My information is for educational purposes only). Providers are very smart, and your server might last from 1 day to 1 month.
A new type of retail has emerged in crypto — not just smart retail. This is an audience evolving alongside the market. In 2025–2026, simply clicking buttons no longer works. You need to see patterns, know how to work on-chain, understand economics, analyze competition and ROI, automate some processes, and simultaneously keep in mind counterparty and contract risks.
The market is getting tougher and more complex — but in a way, that’s not a downside, it’s a filter. The higher the knowledge and skill barrier to entry, the fewer random people are competing for real life-changing opportunities.
I hope the moderators forgive this digression from the topic of this post, but I find it useful to mention:
With the arrival of new laws and regulations, the crypto market is becoming the new financial system 2.0.
If you’re interested, read about MiCa, Travel Rule, CARF, DAC8.
This is especially relevant for those living in Europe — I recommend reviewing this material.
Why am I saying this? Because if you used to earn and didn’t pay taxes, now you’ll have to share your profits with the tax office.
