What does a miner actually do when mining a block?

When you mine a Monero block, your mining software builds a proposed batch of transactions and repeatedly tests it for a rare, valid result. If it finds one that meets the network’s rules, it sends the block to other computers for checking—and, if the block is accepted into the chain, earns the mining reward.

Your software builds a candidate block

A block is a batch of transactions plus information that connects it to the previous block. Together, these linked blocks form the blockchain, Monero’s shared record of payments.

Your software does this work automatically. You do not choose transactions or solve puzzles by hand.

When mining independently, your miner works with a node—software that keeps track of the blockchain and checks its rules. The node prepares a candidate block containing:

• Pending transactions that pass Monero’s checks.
• A reference to the previous block.
• A special transaction that assigns the mining reward.
• Fields the miner can change while searching for a valid result.

Monero’s privacy features do not stop these checks. Nodes can verify transaction proofs and reject double spending without exposing everyone’s payment details.

Your CPU tries different results

Monero uses RandomX, its mining algorithm, or set of computing instructions. It is designed to favor CPUs—the general-purpose processors in computers.

Your miner changes a small value called a nonce, then runs the block’s mining data through RandomX. That produces a hash, a result that can be treated as a number.

For the block to qualify, that number must be below a limit set by the network’s difficulty. Higher difficulty means fewer attempts succeed.

There is no shortcut where your computer “gets closer” with each attempt. It keeps changing the input and trying again. Most results fail, and that is normal.

This repeated computation is proof of work: finding a qualifying result takes substantial effort, while checking one takes far less.

A successful result still needs checking

When your miner finds a qualifying hash, the completed block is sent to the network.

Other nodes independently check that:

• The proof of work meets the required difficulty.
• The transactions follow Monero’s rules.
• The reward does not exceed the allowed amount.
• The block properly connects to the chain.

Your miner cannot make an invalid payment valid just by doing enough computing.

Sometimes two miners find competing blocks close together. The network ultimately follows the valid chain with the most accumulated work. A block left outside that chain does not receive a spendable mining reward.

The reward goes to the accepted block

Monero targets roughly one block every two minutes across the whole network—not one block every two minutes for your device. Difficulty adjusts every block.

The base reward is 0.6 XMR per block, plus transaction fees, although unusually large blocks can trigger a reward penalty. Newly mined coins remain locked for 60 blocks, roughly two hours.

If you use a mining pool, a service that combines miners’ work, it usually prepares the block for you. Your software submits easier proof-of-work results called shares to show your contribution. Most shares are not valid network blocks; the pool uses them to calculate payouts.

The bottom line

Your miner repeatedly tests a proposed block for a qualifying proof of work. It proposes the block, but the network checks it—and only accepted work can produce a mining reward.