Overview of Monero (XMR) Mining

Monero (XMR) is a cryptocurrency focused on privacy and anonymity. Unlike many other cryptocurrencies, Monero’s mining mechanism is designed to resist ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) miners, thereby promoting a more decentralized and equitable mining environment.Its unique proof-of-work algorithm, RandomX, makes CPU mining the primary method for acquiring XMR.

Monero Mining Algorithm: RandomX

Monero uses a proof-of-work algorithm called RandomX. The algorithm’s unique design is intended to optimize CPU mining performance and effectively resist ASIC miners, thereby ensuring that ordinary users can participate in mining using home computers and maintain the network’s decentralization.However, by 2026, ASIC miners specifically designed for the RandomX algorithm—such as the Antminer X5 and X9—had appeared on the market; these devices typically outperform high-end CPUs in terms of efficiency.

Hardware Selection: CPU vs. ASIC

  • CPU Mining: Due to the characteristics of the RandomX algorithm, a high-performance CPU is the ideal choice for Monero mining. For example, AMD Ryzen series processors perform exceptionally well in Monero mining. A decent desktop CPU can achieve a hash rate of approximately 25–28 kH/s.
  • ASIC Miners: Although RandomX is designed to be ASIC-resistant, dedicated ASIC miners have entered the market. For example, the Antminer X5 has a hash rate of approximately 212 kH/s, while the Antminer X9 can reach up to 1 MH/s, offering options for miners seeking higher hash rates.

Mining Software: XMRig

XMRig is currently the most popular, open-source, and high-performance Monero mining software. It supports both CPU and GPU mining and is favored by miners for its ease of configuration and optimization. It is recommended to download the latest version from XMRig’s official GitHub repository to ensure software security and optimal performance.

Setting Up a Monero Wallet

Before you start mining, you’ll need to set up a Monero wallet to receive your mining rewards.We recommend using desktop wallets such as the official Monero GUI wallet, Feather Wallet, or MyMonero, as well as hardware wallets like Ledger or Trezor to enhance security. For security reasons and to maintain control over your funds, it is not recommended to send mining rewards directly to an exchange address.

门罗币（XMR）挖矿指南：配置、算法与高效策略

Choosing a Mining Method and Mining Pool

There are several main methods for mining Monero:

  • Solo Mining: Miners run a node independently and attempt to discover blocks on their own. This method helps enhance network security, but the time between block discoveries can be very long (potentially several months), and earnings are extremely unstable.
  • Pool Mining: Miners contribute their hashrate to a centralized mining pool. Once the pool discovers a block, rewards are distributed proportionally based on the hashrate contributed. This method provides more frequent and stable, albeit smaller, rewards, but typically involves paying pool fees and carries certain risks associated with centralization.Major mining pools include SupportXMR, MineXMR, MoneroOcean, and others.
  • P2Pool Mining: P2Pool is a decentralized mining pool encouraged by the Monero project. It combines the advantages of solo mining and pool mining, requires no fees to be paid to the pool, and helps enhance the network’s decentralization and robustness.P2Pool is considered by many to be the “best” way to mine Monero.

XMRig Configuration and Mining Steps

The following are the general configuration and startup steps for mining Monero using XMRig:

  1. Download and Extract: Download the latest version of the software from the official XMRig GitHub repository and extract it to a folder of your choice.
  2. Edit the configuration file: Locate theconfig.jsonfile in the extracted folder and open it with a text editor.
  3. Enter Mining Pool Information: In the configuration file, you’ll need to enter the URL of your chosen mining pool, your Monero wallet address, and an optional miner name. For example, locate the “pools” section and update the “url” and “user” fields.
  4. Optimize CPU mining: For CPU mining, it is recommended to enable the “Huge Pages” feature in your operating system. This can significantly increase CPU hashrate, typically resulting in a 20–50% performance boost.
  5. Permissions and Exclusion Settings: To ensure XMRig runs properly and to avoid false positives from antivirus software, we recommend allowing XMRig to run with administrator privileges and adding it to your antivirus software’s exclusion list.
  6. Start Mining: After savingconfig.jsonthe file, double-click to runxmrig.exe(Windows) or use./xmrig(Linux) to launch the mining program.
  7. Monitoring and Adjustment: Once mining has started, you can monitor CPU temperature and hashrate performance in the XMRig console window. Depending on your specific situation, you can further optimize mining efficiency by adjusting parameters such as the number of threads and CPU priority in XMRig.

The Monero Network and Reward Mechanism

Running a Monero node and synchronizing the pruned blockchain requires approximately 50 GB of storage space.Monero’s reward mechanism includes a unique “Tail Emission” design: a permanent reward of approximately 0.6 XMR is paid every two minutes. This means that Monero’s block rewards will no longer be halved, providing miners with a continuous incentive.