I was wondering... can mining Bitcoin just be done on paper? Like, if I just guess a random number, do some SHA-256 thing and then submit it somewhere online. I mean, that’s gotta work somehow, right? Or is there a way to do actual math problems on paper for mining?
Theoretically, yes, it might be possible, but... it's complicated. You would need the most recent block header, create a new one, pick a nonce, and do a SHA-256 hash on paper. But honestly, the chances of picking the right nonce are like winning the lottery. And good luck broadcasting your block to the rest of the network. Not really a "website" for that.
You'd need some sort of node running, connecting to others to share your block. Info's out there but you gotta have a client setup. If you run the main client, you could use the submitblock command. But no idea about specific tools that can do this for you.
I’m seriously thinking about building my own miner from scratch. Got some experience with FPGAs and microcontrollers. Thanks for the info! Anyone else tried something similar? How did it go?
Check the pinned post here, especially point 3. If you're using FPGAs for BTC mining, you're wasting your time. ASICs are where it's at, and even they barely find blocks these days. Just saying.
You might find what you need in the Hardware section of this forum... there are peeps with USB miners and other setups that actually work. Just follow the links shared by others.
Assembling a miner isn’t just about solving math. It’s about guessing random numbers fast. The more you can guess and submit, the better your shot at a block. So, using paper for all this might not add up.
I’m confused about this whole "guessing a random number" thing. What if there was a site where you just guess one number and win a fortune if you’re right? Kind of like that, but for Bitcoin mining. Just an idea.
No offense, but you really should read the whitepaper if you're serious about building anything. Understanding how the blockchain works and POW is key. Otherwise, you’re probably gonna be lost.
You need more than just a nonce. You require a unique coinbase transaction too. The odds of hitting the right number is like 1 in a HUGE number. Don’t get your hopes up.