How does Monero mining work?

Monero mining is how your computer helps confirm payments and keep Monero’s shared payment record secure. Your processor does repeated calculations to compete for the right to add the next group of payments, called a block. If you win, you earn newly created Monero (XMR) plus the transaction fees in that block.

What your computer actually does

Monero does not have a bank deciding which payments count. Instead, computers on its network follow the same rules and keep copies of a blockchain: a shared history of accepted blocks.

When you mine, your software collects pending transactions and builds a proposed block. It then changes a small piece of data and repeatedly calculates a hash, a digital result generated from that data.

Most results do not qualify. Your software keeps trying until it finds one that meets the network’s target. This is proof of work: evidence that computational effort went into proposing the block.

Other computers check the result and the block’s transactions. If everything follows Monero’s rules, they can accept it. Mining does not let you create invalid payments or spend someone else’s coins.

Why Monero mining uses your processor

Monero uses a mining algorithm—a set of calculation rules—called RandomX. It replaced earlier CryptoNight variants on November 30, 2019.

RandomX favors CPUs, the general-purpose processors inside ordinary computers. It mixes different kinds of calculations and memory access to make specialized mining hardware less advantageous.

Your results depend on more than processor speed:

• Cache: Fast memory built into your CPU matters. A useful guideline is about 2 MB of L3 cache per mining thread, meaning each parallel worker.
• Memory: RandomX’s fast mode uses a 2,080 MB dataset, alongside other memory needs. Its slower light mode uses a 256 MB cache instead.
• Power and cooling: Mining uses electricity and produces heat. Running more workers does not always improve your return.

Browser mining faces extra limits. A browser can perform calculations, but its restricted environment and memory handling can make it much slower than dedicated mining software. You should also check whether a browser service mines Monero directly or merely pays you in XMR for other work.

How blocks and rewards are shared

Monero aims for one block about every two minutes across the whole network—not one block per miner. Its difficulty, which controls how hard finding a qualifying result is, adjusts after every block.

Since around June 2022, Monero has used tail emission: an ongoing base reward of 0.6 XMR per block, with transaction fees added. That is roughly 432 newly created XMR per day across the network.

You can mine in two main ways:

• Solo mining: You keep the reward if you find a block, but a small miner may wait a very long time.
• Pool mining: You combine work with other miners. The pool measures contributions using easier proofs called shares and distributes rewards under its payout rules.

Newly mined coins stay locked for 60 blocks, roughly two hours. Pool payment timing also depends on the pool’s rules.

The bottom line

Mining turns your computer’s work into security for Monero, with rewards as the incentive. It is not guaranteed income: electricity costs, hardware efficiency, network competition, and XMR’s price all matter. Before you start, use a live mining calculator, check any service’s fees and withdrawal rules, and mine only on devices you own or have explicit permission to use.