ryansatoshiMember
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#1Jul 18, 2017, 08:55 PM
Need some testnet bitcoins? Just solo mine them. I noticed a lot of guides out there are old, so I’m sharing this one with the latest tools.
How to Solo Mine Testnet Bitcoins: A Step-by-Step Guide
21 replies 369 views
A few blocks overnight? Wow, that testnet difficulty must be super low. What was the exact difficulty when you wrote this?
ryansatoshiMember
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#3Jul 19, 2017, 08:15 AM
It was in the millions. But I think testnet3 resets the difficulty to 1 after certain blocks. That’s why I managed to mine more than I expected.
maxi_cobraSenior Member
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#4Jul 19, 2017, 11:47 AM
Nice guide you’ve put together!
Thanks for this! But if you don’t have an ASIC, maybe try Signet or Regtest instead? Unless you really wanna gamble on solo mining mainnet.
token_sageFull Member
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#6Jul 19, 2017, 05:17 PM
Didn’t know that! Gonna fire up my Compac F now for some testnet BTC mining. This should be fun since I’ve never hit a solo block.
ryansatoshiMember
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#7Jul 20, 2017, 08:43 PM
That was exactly why I started this whole thing! Just make sure to log your first block.
ryansatoshiMember
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#8Jul 20, 2017, 09:52 PM
You can even write a message in the coinbase of the block. Just add a line to the config file.
ryansatoshiMember
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#9Jul 21, 2017, 12:33 AM
Right, it’s just a simple text line like the btc-address one. Just give it a shot, that’s what testnet is for.
token_sageFull Member
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#10Jul 21, 2017, 06:38 PM
I just shared a guide that doesn’t need an ASIC at all! It’s all about using your CPU or GPU. Should be easy to try.
token_sageFull Member
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#11Jul 21, 2017, 09:50 PM
A couple of fixes: (1) Add datadir=/home/user/bitcoin_testnet/data to your conf file. (2) There’s a typo; it should be enable-gekko. (3) Remove the comma at the end of the last line.
viper_cobraNewbie
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#12Jul 22, 2017, 12:53 AM
Your guide worked like a charm! I mined multiple blocks in a day. Almost hit 30 blocks in 24 hours with my Compac F. What a ride!
token_sageFull Member
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#13Jul 22, 2017, 01:28 AM
What do I need to change to mine on the mainnet? Just remove testnet=1?
ryansatoshiMember
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#14Jul 22, 2017, 07:02 AM
Interesting, I thought a CPU/GPU setup would do fine too. But yeah, at difficulty 1, low latency is key. The ASIC might make a big difference.
Totally agree, got consecutive blocks too. Guess a few hundred GH is enough for consistent rewards.
Glad to see folks solo mining testnet BTC thanks to this guide!
wallet_vaultFull Member
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#17Jul 24, 2017, 10:36 AM
That’s way faster than my CPU mining! Wanna try? I still have a synced testnet blockchain.
token_sageFull Member
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#18Jul 24, 2017, 11:42 AM
I’m on a quad-core Xeon E3-1270 V2 at 3.50GHz. Just wondering if I messed something up.
Stale blocks are more about networking than mining power. Make sure you’ve got enough CPU left to broadcast quickly. Also, how many nodes are you connected to?
You found my hidden messages! I will plant more soon.