What is a NerdMiner?
Definition · NerdMiner
Free, open-source firmware (NerdMiner_v2, also called NerdSoloMiner) for ESP32 microcontroller boards. It speaks the Stratum protocol to a solo pool, hashes block headers on the board’s processor and shows its progress on a small screen.
The project says it plainly: the aim is to let you learn about mining and to have a nice piece of hardware on your desk. There’s no mining chip inside. The ESP32 is a general-purpose chip that also runs Wi-Fi, so every hash is done the slow way.
ESP32
The whole miner
One cheap Wi-Fi microcontroller does the hashing, the networking and the screen.
kH/s
Thousands, not trillions
Kilohashes per second. A real mining machine counts in terahashes.
Solo
All or nothing
It mines on a solo pool, so it gets the whole block or nothing at all.
~1 W
USB power
Runs from a phone charger. At an assumed 1 W and 15¢ per kWh, about $1.31 a year.
How fast is a NerdMiner?
Speed depends on the board and the firmware. Newer firmware uses the ESP32’s built-in SHA-256 hardware and runs a few times faster. Even then, here’s how it stacks up. Each step on this chart is ten times bigger than the last.
Hashrate, from a NerdMiner to the whole network
| Board | Hashrate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ESP32-C3 (C3 Super Mini) | about 24 kH/s | v1.7.0 notes |
| Wemos Lolin S2 Mini | about 38 kH/s | v1.7.0 notes |
| ESP32 classic (WeAct D0WD) | about 57 kH/s | v1.7.0 notes |
| LILYGO T-Display S3 AMOLED | about 78 kH/s | v1.7.0 notes |
| ESP32-S3 with hardware SHA | about 240 kH/s | pull request #663 |
How does a NerdMiner mine?
- 1
Gets a job
The pool sends a block template: the previous block, the transactions and a target.
- 2
Hashes
The ESP32 changes a number in the block header (the nonce) and hashes it with SHA-256, over and over.
- 3
Sends shares
Hashes that beat an easy, pool-set target go back as shares, so the pool can see it working.
- 4
Hopes
If a hash ever beats the real network target, that’s a block, and the whole reward goes to your address.
That’s exactly what a big miner does, just billions of times slower. Try it yourself in the how mining works guide, which mines a toy block in your browser.
What does “best difficulty” mean?
The screen shows the hardest share your NerdMiner has ever found. It feels like progress. It isn’t: each hash is a fresh draw, and a block needs a share as hard as the whole network’s difficulty.
The best NerdMiner share vs what a block needs
The gap is about 9.8 billion times. Even the best of 1,851 NerdMiners on one pool is nowhere near a block.
What is a NerdMiner really for?
Fun and learning, and that’s a fine reason. You flash firmware, watch a real Stratum connection, see shares arrive, and understand difficulty in a way no article can teach. It also works as a desk clock and a Bitcoin stats screen.
75 billion yrs
Average wait, solo
ESP32-S3, hardware SHA, live
5.5×
Ages of the universe
13.8 billion years each
$1.31
Power per year
assumes 1 W at 15¢ per kWh
133 trillion
Network difficulty
live, worked out from hashrate
NerdMiner vs Bitaxe: what’s the difference?
| NerdMiner | Bitaxe | |
|---|---|---|
| What hashes | A general-purpose ESP32 | A Bitmain mining ASIC |
| Hashrate | About 24 to 240 kH/s | About 0.3 to 2 TH/s (Gamma 1.1 TH/s) |
| Power | Around 1 W from USB | About 12 to 36 W |
| Average solo wait | 75 billion years | about 16,870 years (Gamma) |
| Best for | Learning, a desk toy | Learning, a long-shot ticket |
A Bitaxe Gamma is about 4.5 million times faster than the fastest NerdMiner. Its odds are still a lottery, just a lottery you could conceivably win. More in the Bitaxe guide and the solo mining guide.
How do you set up a NerdMiner?
- 1
Get a supported board
The LILYGO T-Display S3 is the original. The project lists many other ESP32 boards.
- 2
Flash the firmware
Use the project’s online flasher in Chrome, or ESPtool with the files from its GitHub.
- 3
Configure it
Join the “NerdMinerAP” hotspot it creates, then enter your Wi-Fi and your Bitcoin address.
- 4
Pick a pool
It defaults to Public Pool (public-pool.io, port 3333), which accepts tiny miners. Many standard pools don’t.
It won’t start mining without a Bitcoin address, so have one ready. Our wallet guide explains how to get one.
Can you mine bitcoin without the odds?
Yes. In the CloudMineCrypto app you mine for free with the free plan, ads, games, offers and daily check-ins, and your BTC balance grows while your plans run, from their hashrate and live network data. No waiting for a block. Withdraw to your own wallet, Lightning included. Want more speed? Add an optional paid plan.
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
What is a NerdMiner?
A tiny open-source Bitcoin miner made from a cheap ESP32 microcontroller board, usually with a small screen. It mines solo on a pool like Public Pool and shows its hashrate, best share and network stats.
Can a NerdMiner find a Bitcoin block?
In theory yes, in practice no. At a few hundred kilohashes per second the average wait for a block is many times the age of the universe. The calculator at the top shows the live figure.
How much hashrate does a NerdMiner have?
The project lists about 24 to 78 kH/s for common boards, and about 240 kH/s on an ESP32-S3 with the newer hardware SHA firmware. A Bitaxe is millions of times faster.
How much power does a NerdMiner use?
Very little. It runs from a USB port, so it draws a watt or so, a few dollars of electricity a year at most.
What is best difficulty on a NerdMiner?
The hardest share your device has found so far. A block needs a share as hard as the network difficulty, which is billions of times higher than what a NerdMiner typically reaches.
NerdMiner or Bitaxe?
A NerdMiner is a fun, cheap way to learn how mining works. A Bitaxe uses a real mining ASIC and is millions of times faster, but its solo odds are still long. Neither is a way to earn.
Sources and further reading
- NerdMiner_v2 (NerdSoloMiner) source and setup · BitMaker (GitHub)
- NerdMiner v1.7.0 release notes (board hashrates) · BitMaker (GitHub)
- Hardware SHA-256 for NerdMiner (about 240 kH/s on ESP32-S3) · BitMaker (GitHub)
- About NerdMiner · OSMU wiki
- Public Pool: connected devices and found blocks · Public Pool
- Difficulty · Bitcoin Wiki
- Planck reveals an almost perfect Universe (age 13.8 billion years) · European Space Agency
- ESP32 microcontroller family · Wikipedia
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.
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.