What is Scrypt mining?
Definition · Scrypt
A hash function designed by Colin Percival in 2009 to need a lot of memory as well as computing. Litecoin adopted it as its proof of work in 2011, and Dogecoin inherited it. Bitcoin uses SHA-256 instead, so the two kinds of machine can’t swap jobs.
Mining works the same way as on Bitcoin: miners hash a block header with a changing nonce until the result falls below the network’s target. The proof of work guide shows that loop step by step. What changes is the hash. Scrypt fills a scratchpad in memory and reads it back in an order that depends on the data, so a chip can’t skip the memory.
N = 1024
Litecoin’s setting
Litecoin runs Scrypt with N = 1024, r = 1 and p = 1, straight from its source code.
128 KB
Memory per hash
Scrypt keeps N blocks of 128 × r bytes (RFC 7914). At Litecoin’s setting that’s 131,072 bytes, small enough to fit on a chip.
ASICs
So chips followed
Because the scratchpad is small, makers could put it inside custom chips. Scrypt ASICs now do almost all the work.
Why are Litecoin and Dogecoin mined together?
Because of merged mining. Since block 371,337 in 2014, Dogecoin has accepted blocks whose proof of work was done for another Scrypt chain. A miner builds a Litecoin block, tucks a reference to a Dogecoin block into it, and hashes. Every hash is then checked against two targets.
Definition · Merged mining (AuxPoW)
Mining two chains with the same hashes. The auxiliary chain (Dogecoin) accepts a block if the parent chain’s (Litecoin’s) block header, with a proof that it commits to the Dogecoin block, has a hash below Dogecoin’s target. This is called auxiliary proof of work, or AuxPoW.
How a Dogecoin block rides on Litecoin work
1 · The Litecoin block
- Header: the 80 bytes that get hashed with Scrypt
- Coinbase transaction: pays the pool, and carries a tag that commits to the Dogecoin block being worked on (and any other merged chains)
- The rest of the transactions
2 · The Dogecoin AuxPoW block
- Its own header and transactions, as normal
- Proof: the Litecoin coinbase, the Merkle branch linking it to the Litecoin header, and that header
- Valid if that header’s Scrypt hash beats Dogecoin’s target
Dogecoin’s difficulty is lower than Litecoin’s, so a hash good enough for Litecoin is almost always good enough for Dogecoin too. Try it:
One hash, two targets
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Press a button to hash.
- Hashes
- 0
- Dogecoin blocks
- 0
- Litecoin blocks
- 0
Random numbers stand in for Scrypt hashes, and the targets are toys, 1 in 8 and 1 in 20, so blocks happen while you watch. The real targets are far, far smaller. The ratio is the real one: the two chains’ difficulties sit about 2.5 to 1 apart, so Dogecoin gets about 2.5 blocks for every Litecoin block, from the same hashes.
For the pool it’s extra coins from the same electricity. That’s why pools like LitecoinPool.org pay out both coins, and why Bitmain’s L9 sheet lists “LTC+DOGE+BEL+JKC+LKY+PEP”: some pools merge-mine a few smaller Scrypt coins as well.
What are Litecoin’s and Dogecoin’s block times and rewards?
| Litecoin | Dogecoin | |
|---|---|---|
| Block time (target) | 2.5 minutes | 1 minute |
| Blocks a day | 576 | 1,440 |
| Block subsidy | 6.25 LTC | 10,000 DOGE |
| Halving | Every 840,000 blocks (about 4 years) | None since block 600,000 |
| Supply | Capped near 84 million | No cap, 10,000 new DOGE a block |
| Difficulty adjusts | Every 2,016 blocks (3.5 days) | Every block (Digishield) |
Ten minutes on three chains
2.52 PH/s
Litecoin network
live, updated hourly
2.00 PH/s
Dogecoin network
24 h average, live
3,193,510
Litecoin block height
live
July 2027
Next LTC halving
block 3,360,000, estimate
The two networks show nearly the same hashrate, because the same machines hash for both. Litecoin halves like Bitcoin, on a 4-year rhythm; its next halving, at block 3,360,000, drops the subsidy to 3.125 LTC. Dogecoin’s halvings ended at block 600,000; it now pays a flat 10,000 DOGE a block, with no end date. The Bitcoin halving guide explains why halvings matter to miners.
Which machines mine Litecoin and Dogecoin?
Scrypt ASICs. They look like Bitcoin miners and draw similar power, but their chips only do Scrypt. Makers quote them in GH/s and joules per megahash (J/MH): lower J/MH means less electricity for the same work.
| Model | Cooling | GH/s | Watts | J/MH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antminer L7 | Air | 9.5 | 3,420 | 0.36 |
| Antminer L9 | Air | 16 | 3,360 | 0.21 |
| Antminer L11 | Air | 20 | 3,680 | 0.184 |
| Antminer L11 HU2 | Hydro | 35 | 5,775 | 0.165 |
| Elphapex DG 1+ | Air | 14 | 3,920 | 0.280 |
| Elphapex DG 2 | Air | 17.5 | 3,850 | 0.22 |
| Elphapex DG 2+ | Air | 20.5 | 3,900 | 0.19 |
| Elphapex DG Home 1 | Air, home size | 2.1 | 630 | 0.30 |
Energy per megahash, least to most efficient
The L11 HU2 is the most efficient here on paper, at 0.165 J/MH. The Elphapex DG Home 1 is the odd one out: 630 W on a normal socket, built for a home rather than a farm. None of this is a buying recommendation. For Bitcoin machines, see the SHA-256 hardware comparison.
Is the Antminer L7 still any good?
The L7 was Bitmain’s main Scrypt machine for years and is still sold. Bitmain’s sheet lists versions from 7,800 to 9,500 MH/s, all at about 0.36 J/MH. The top one draws 3,420 W.
9,500 MH/s
Hashrate
top version, rated
3,420 W
Power on the wall
rated, ±10%
0.36 J/MH
Efficiency
L9: 0.21, L11: 0.184
8.3¢
Break-even per kWh
live estimate
It’s not the machine that changed; it’s the network around it. Newer models do the same work on 42% to 49% less power, and difficulty rises as they plug in. So an L7 covers its power only where electricity is cheap. The break-even price below is today’s; it moves with difficulty and both coins’ prices.
Why don’t GPUs and CPUs compete anymore?
In Dogecoin’s early days a gaming GPU was enough, as the Dogecoin Foundation’s own mining guide puts it. Then Scrypt ASICs arrived, and every one of them does the work of a room full of graphics cards on a fraction of the power.
2.52 PH/s
Whole Scrypt network
live, Litecoin
16 GH/s
One Antminer L9
rated
1 in 157,616
One L9’s share
of every block
157,616
L9s to match it
machines, estimate
A GPU or CPU still computes Scrypt correctly, it’s just a vanishing share of that network, so in a pool it earns less than its power and solo it would wait lifetimes for a block. If you want to mine on a graphics card, the GPU mining guide covers the coins where that still makes sense, and Monero mining is the classic CPU case. What happens to a PC that tries Bitcoin is in mining bitcoin on a PC.
What does a Scrypt miner cost to run?
Power is the cost you pay every day. The gross comes in two coins, and at today’s prices most of it is Dogecoin:
Estimated gross per day, split by coin
Break-even electricity price, at live network data
The machine’s price
Plus shipping and import duty. It also loses value as newer models arrive.
Pool fees
Usually a few percent, taken from both coins.
Two prices, not one
Gross depends on LTC and DOGE prices, which move separately.
The Litecoin halving
Around July 2027, the LTC part of the gross halves.
Can you solo mine Litecoin or Dogecoin?
You can, and with far better odds than solo Bitcoin, because the Scrypt network is small and blocks come quickly. It’s still a lottery. Here’s the average wait for a Dogecoin block, mining alone:
Average solo wait for a Dogecoin block
One L9 alone would expect a Dogecoin block every 3 months and a Litecoin block every 9 months on average. Most miners prefer a pool’s small, steady payouts. The solo mining guide explains the maths, and mining pools how the payouts are shared.
Can you mine bitcoin without a machine?
The CloudMineCrypto app gives bitcoin mining rewards, not Litecoin or Dogecoin, and it doesn’t need a machine. You mine for free with the free plan, ads, games, offers and daily check-ins, and your estimated BTC ticks up while your plans run. No noise, no power bill, and you withdraw to your own wallet, Lightning included. Paid plans are an optional boost for more speed; they usually mine less than they cost. New to all this? Start with what crypto mining is.
Good to know: rewards are estimates, move with the network and aren’t guaranteed. A plan doesn’t give you ownership of, or a share in, any specific hardware or pool. Terms apply.
Frequently asked questions
Can you mine Litecoin and Dogecoin at the same time?
Yes. Dogecoin accepts merged-mined (AuxPoW) blocks since block 371,337 in 2014, so the same Scrypt hashes work on both chains. Most Litecoin pools mine Dogecoin alongside and pay out both coins.
How long does it take to mine 1 Litecoin?
With one Antminer L9 (16 GH/s) in a pool, about 44 days at today’s live network hashrate, plus about 115 DOGE a day from the same work. The figure moves with difficulty and excludes pool fees.
Can I mine Dogecoin with a GPU or CPU?
Technically yes, but the network runs on Scrypt ASICs now. It does about 2.00 PH/s, so a graphics card’s share is too small to find a block or earn more than its power costs.
What is the Antminer L7’s hashrate?
Bitmain rates the top L7 version at 9,500 MH/s (9.5 GH/s) on 3,420 W, or 0.36 J/MH. Newer Scrypt machines such as the L9 (0.21 J/MH) use less power per hash.
When is the next Litecoin halving?
At block 3,360,000, when the subsidy drops from 6.25 to 3.125 LTC. At 2.5-minute blocks that’s around July 2027 (estimate). Dogecoin has no halvings: every block pays 10,000 DOGE.
Is Litecoin or Dogecoin mining profitable?
It depends on your electricity price, the machine’s price, difficulty and both coins’ prices, and it changes daily. The calculator at the top shows today’s estimated gross against power at your tariff. It leaves out the machine’s cost, fees and downtime.
Sources and further reading
- Litecoin Core chainparams.cpp (2.5-minute blocks, halving every 840,000 blocks) · Litecoin Project (GitHub)
- Litecoin Core scrypt.cpp (Scrypt with N = 1024, r = 1, p = 1) · Litecoin Project (GitHub)
- Dogecoin Core chainparams.cpp (1-minute blocks, AuxPoW from block 371,337) · Dogecoin Project (GitHub)
- Dogecoin Core dogecoin.cpp (10,000 DOGE per block) · Dogecoin Project (GitHub)
- Mining Dogecoin (merged mining since 2014, Scrypt ASICs) · Dogecoin Foundation
- What is a miner? (block reward, one-minute blocks, Digishield) · Dogecoin Foundation
- Merged mining specification (AuxPoW) · Bitcoin Wiki
- RFC 7914: The scrypt password-based key derivation function · IETF
- The scrypt key derivation function · Colin Percival (Tarsnap)
- LitecoinPool.org: merged mining, paid in LTC and DOGE · LitecoinPool.org
- Antminer L7 specifications · Bitmain support (manufacturer)
- Antminer L9 specifications (LTC+DOGE+BEL+JKC+LKY+PEP) · Bitmain support (manufacturer)
- Antminer L11 and L11 HU2 product pages · Bitmain (manufacturer)
- Elphapex DG 1+, DG 2, DG 2+ and DG Home 1 product pages · Elphapex (manufacturer)
- Litecoin network hashrate and difficulty (live data) · litecoinspace.org
- Dogecoin network stats API (live data) · Blockchair
- LTC and DOGE prices (live data) · CoinGecko
Live figures on this page come from the CloudMineCrypto API or from the public blockchain data services named next to them, refresh on a schedule, 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.
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