What is cloud mining?
Cloud mining is any way of getting mining output while the machines, power and cooling are someone else’s problem. You never touch an ASIC. What you actually buy depends on which of three things you’re looking at.
Definition · Cloud mining
Paying for, or earning, Bitcoin mining output from hashrate that someone else runs, instead of operating mining hardware yourself.
01
Hosted hardware contract
- You pay
- Up front for months or years, plus a daily maintenance fee
- You get
- The output of a slice of hashrate in the provider’s farm
- Who runs it
- The provider runs the machines. You can’t see or visit them.
- What goes wrong
- Fees can eat the output. Many offers have no real machines at all.
Sold by mining companies and, far more often, by scam sites
02
Hashrate rental marketplace
- You pay
- By the hour or day, at a price that floats with the market
- You get
- Hashrate pointed at a mining pool you choose, which pays you
- Who runs it
- Other miners rent out their machines. You pick the pool.
- What goes wrong
- Rentals usually cost a bit more than they mine. Needs some know-how.
NiceHash and MiningRigRentals are well-known examples
03
Mining rewards app
- You pay
- Nothing. Mine free; paid plans are an optional add-on in some apps.
- You get
- A plan with a hashrate, and estimated BTC rewards from live network data
- Who runs it
- No hardware and no pool of your own. The app runs everything.
- What goes wrong
- Rewards are estimates that add up while plans run, not guaranteed.
CloudMineCrypto is one of these
These get lumped together in search results and ads, but the money works differently in each. A marketplace sells real hashrate at a floating price. A hosted contract locks you in for months with a fee. A rewards app like ours gives you mining plans for free and estimates your BTC from live network data. New to the basics? Start with how Bitcoin mining works and what hashrate means.
How does cloud mining make money?
Every kind of mining earns the same way: a hashrate’s share of the network, times the blocks found, times the reward per block. Miners call the result per TH/s per day hashprice. Here it is live:
0.0000004515BTC
Hashprice per TH/s a day
live · estimate
$0.038
Same in US dollars
at today’s BTC price
1003 EH/s
Network hashrate
updated hourly
3.145 BTC
Block reward
incl. average fees
That’s the ceiling. A contract can’t pay out more than its hashrate mines unless the money comes from elsewhere. Three things then push the real figure down:
- The seller’s margin. Anyone selling hashrate prices it above what they expect it to mine, or they’d just keep it.
- Maintenance fees. Hosted contracts charge a flat daily fee per TH/s for power and upkeep.
- Network growth. As difficulty rises, each TH/s earns less, and the next halving, expected around 2028, halves the block subsidy.
Move the sliders to see how a flat fee meets a shrinking output:
One TH/s of hashrate against a flat maintenance fee
Starts at the live hashprice · illustrativeFee overtakes output
month 26
Kept per TH/s over 3 years
$5.30
That crossing point is why long contracts disappoint. Many hosted contracts pause or end once the fee exceeds the output, so the last months pay nothing. The mining profitability guide and the profit calculator run the same maths for owning a machine.
Is cloud mining legit?
The idea is legit. The typical offer isn’t. Here’s how each kind holds up:
| Kind | Is it real? | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Hashrate marketplace | Yes, real hashrate you can point at your own pool | Usually costs a little more than it mines |
| Hosted contract from a known miner | Can be | Fees and network growth often leave you with less than the price |
| “Cloud mining” with daily returns | Almost always a scam | Paid from new deposits until it collapses |
| Mining rewards app | Yes, if it’s a real company with public terms | Free to start, with estimated rewards that add up while plans run |
If you want exposure to bitcoin’s price, buying bitcoin is simpler than any contract. If you want to see mining work without spending money, a rewards app does that. Hosted contracts sit awkwardly in between, and most of the category’s bad reputation comes from fakes pretending to be them.
Why are most cloud mining offers scams?
Because customers never see the machines. That makes “mining” the perfect story for a Ponzi scheme: the site shows a counter going up, and there’s nothing for you to check. The tricks repeat from site to site:
Ponzi payouts
Old customers are paid with new customers’ deposits. There may be no mining at all.
Tell: Returns that are fixed, daily and higher than the hashrate can mine.
Fake dashboards
A live-looking counter ticks up on their site. It’s just a number in their database.
Tell: Nothing you can check on a pool page or the blockchain.
Deposit to withdraw
When you ask for your money, a “fee”, “tax” or “account upgrade” appears first.
Tell: Any payment needed to release your own balance.
Referral pyramids
Commissions flow up several levels, so recruiting pays more than the “mining”.
Tell: Team levels, uplines, and bonuses for your recruits’ recruits.
The early phase is what fools people. Small withdrawals really are paid, from newer deposits, so the site collects screenshots and glowing reviews. Then the maths catches up:
Where a fake mining site’s “returns” come from
1. Launch
Small withdrawals are paid fast, so early users post screenshots.
2. Growth
Referral levels and “VIP” tiers push people to deposit more.
3. Squeeze
Withdrawals slow, then need a “fee”, “tax” or bigger deposit.
4. Gone
The site goes offline or freezes every balance.
The simplest test is the one in the contract X-ray at the top of this page. If the promised daily return is bigger than what the hashrate can mine, no mining is paying it.
Cloud mining scam checklist
Run any offer through this before you send a cent. Tick what applies:
Red-flag meter
0 of 10 ticked
Tick every sign the offer shows.
No ticks doesn’t prove an offer is safe. Start small, withdraw once, and only then decide. The same checks, applied to our own app, are on Is CloudMineCrypto legit?, and the pillar guide keeps a short version at Bitcoin mining: cloud mining and scams.
What do regulators say about cloud mining scams?
US regulators describe the same pattern. The FTC warns that promises of guaranteed profits or big returns in crypto are a sign of a scam, and that scammers often insist on payment in crypto. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center describes crypto investment fraud that starts with a stranger online, shows fake gains on a website, and then asks for fees or taxes before any withdrawal.
What is the best cloud mining site?
We don’t publish a ranking. We make one of the apps in this space, so any list from us would be marketing. Here’s how to judge one yourself:
- 1
Find the company
A registered company name, a country and a business ID you can look up in a public register.
- 2
Find the formula
Rewards should come from hashrate and live network data, not a fixed percentage of what you paid.
- 3
Run the numbers
Put the offer into the contract X-ray at the top of this page. Promised return above what the hashrate mines means walk away.
- 4
Read the fees
Maintenance fees, withdrawal minimums and network fees should be public before you pay anything.
- 5
Start free or small
A real service lets you try it without a big deposit, and doesn’t push you to upgrade.
- 6
Test a withdrawal
Withdraw a small amount to your own wallet before you trust it with anything more.
Where does CloudMineCrypto fit?
CloudMineCrypto is a mining rewards app, the third kind above, and the easiest one to try: you mine bitcoin for free. Claim a free 8-hour mining plan, and ads, games, offers and daily check-ins each give you extra 24-hour plans. Your BTC balance grows while they run, and you withdraw to your own wallet on Bitcoin, Lightning or BNB Smart Chain. No hardware, no noise and no power bill.
Mine for free
Free plan
4.6 GH/s for 8 h
Claim it, and claim it again when it ends.
Watch ads
7.4 GH/s for 24 h
Each rewarded ad adds another plan.
Play games
7.4 GH/s for 24 h
Game rewards add plans on top.
Complete offers
7.4 GH/s for 24 h
Partner offers add plans too.
Daily check-in
7.4 GH/s for 24 h
Come back each day for another plan.
Optional add-on
Paid plans, for more speed
Much more hashrate for longer. The price is shown before you confirm.
Hashrates live, updated hourly. Ads, games and offers are in the mobile apps; availability varies. Rewards are estimates and aren’t guaranteed.
What free plans mine right now
Live · updated hourlyBitcoin network hashrate
1003 EH/s
Block reward (incl. avg. fees)
3.145 BTC
Free plan4.6 GH/s
Claim in the app, renews every 8 hours
Est. per day
0.000000002079BTC
0.00000000008663BTC per hour
Rewarded plan7.4 GH/s
Per ad, offer or game reward, runs 24 hours
Est. per day
0.000000003326BTC
0.0000000001386BTC per hour
Start with the free plan, no purchase needed.
Start mining nowEstimates only, calculated from the plan’s hashrate and current Bitcoin network data, before any boosts. Network difficulty, block rewards and fees change constantly, so actual rewards vary, aren’t guaranteed, and may be lower than the amount you spend on optional purchases. Plans, hashrates and availability may differ by platform, region and over time. Not an investment product. Terms apply.
Withdrawals are requested by you; validated requests are processed automatically and some are reviewed. Limits or verification may apply, and terms apply. The details are in the reward rules, the withdrawals overview and Is CloudMineCrypto legit?.
Frequently asked questions
What is cloud mining?
Cloud mining means paying for mining output without running a machine yourself. It covers hosted hardware contracts, hashrate rental marketplaces and mining rewards apps. They work very differently, so check which one an offer really is.
Is cloud mining legit?
The idea is. Hashrate marketplaces and a few hosted providers are real businesses. But most offers sold as cloud mining, especially ones promising a fixed daily return, are scams that pay old customers with new customers’ money.
Is cloud mining profitable?
Usually not in the way ads suggest. A seller of hashrate prices it so they profit, network growth shrinks output over time, and maintenance fees can eat the rest. Anything promising more than the hashrate can mine is paying you from somewhere else.
How can I tell if a cloud mining site is a scam?
Walk away if it guarantees daily returns, promises more than the hashrate could mine, asks for a fee or deposit before a withdrawal, or pays commissions on several levels of recruits. Being contacted by a stranger with the link is another strong sign.
What is the best cloud mining site?
We don’t publish a ranking, because we make one of the apps in this space. Judge any site yourself: a company you can look up, a clear formula for rewards, no fixed returns, a free or small way to start, and a withdrawal you can test.
Is CloudMineCrypto cloud mining?
It’s a mining rewards app, the easy kind of cloud mining. You mine for free with the free plan, ads, games, offers and daily check-ins, your BTC balance grows while the plans run, and you withdraw to your own wallet. Paid plans are an optional add-on for more speed. Rewards are estimates, not guaranteed, and a plan doesn’t give you ownership of any hardware or pool.
Can I get my money back from a cloud mining scam?
Often not, but report it quickly: to your bank or exchange, to the FBI’s IC3 if you’re in the US, or to your national police or consumer authority. Be wary of “recovery services” that ask for a fee, which are a common second scam.
Sources and further reading
- Mining guide: solo and pool mining · Bitcoin developer documentation
- Mining dashboard: hashrate, difficulty, pools · mempool.space
- Pooled mining · Bitcoin Wiki
- What to know about cryptocurrency and scams · US Federal Trade Commission
- The FBI warns of a spike in cryptocurrency investment schemes · FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
- Reward rules (part of the Terms, section 5.3) · CloudMineCrypto
- Terms and conditions · CloudMineCrypto
Live figures on this page (network hashrate, block reward, BTC price) come from the CloudMineCrypto API, refreshed hourly, and are labelled where they appear. This guide is educational and not financial advice. CloudMineCrypto is not an investment product; rewards in the app are estimates and aren’t guaranteed.
You’ve read how it works. Now watch it happen.
Claim a free 8-hour mining plan in the CloudMineCrypto app and see your estimated BTC tick up from live network data. No hardware, no card.