What to Mine in 2025

What to Mine in 2025

Crypto mining in 2025 is vastly different from a few years ago. After Bitcoin’s halving in 2024 and Ethereum’s transition to Proof-of-Stake, miners are re-evaluating the most profitable coins to mine this year. This article explores the top ASIC-minable cryptocurrencies, touching briefly on GPU mining options, and evaluates their profitability based on network difficulty, hardware requirements, electricity costs, and expected returns.

Here’s a detailed overview of what you should consider mining in 2025.

Key Factors Influencing Mining Profitability in 2025

Mining profitability in 2025 hinges on several crucial factors:

Network Difficulty and Hash Rate

Network difficulty has soared following Ethereum’s move away from Proof-of-Work, pushing many miners toward other networks like Ethereum Classic, significantly increasing their difficulty levels. Bitcoin's hash rate has also reached record highs, making mining increasingly competitive.

Block Rewards and Halvings

Bitcoin’s block reward halving in 2024 reduced rewards to 3.125 BTC per block, making mining returns slimmer. Litecoin also halved its block reward in 2023 to 6.25 LTC per block, tightening profit margins unless prices rise significantly. Conversely, Dogecoin maintains a fixed reward of 10,000 DOGE per block, offering steady emission to miners.

Hardware and Algorithms

The choice of mining hardware—ASIC or GPU—depends directly on the mining algorithm. Bitcoin (SHA-256) and Litecoin/Dogecoin (Scrypt) are primarily ASIC-mined, requiring specialized hardware. Coins like Kaspa (kHeavyHash) began with GPUs but now increasingly favor ASIC miners. Choosing the correct hardware type is essential for profitability.

Electricity Costs

With tighter profit margins in 2025, electricity costs have become a determining factor. ASIC mining often becomes unprofitable at electricity rates above $0.06/kWh. Miners operating in regions with cheap electricity have a significant advantage.

Coin Price and Market Trends

Mining profitability directly relates to coin prices. Stable, well-established coins like Bitcoin and Litecoin offer predictable returns but thin margins due to high competition. Smaller coins (e.g., Kaspa, Alephium, Aleo) present more volatility but potentially higher long-term rewards if their prices rise.

Promising ASIC-Minable Coins in 2025

Bitcoin (BTC)

Algorithm: SHA-256
Mining Hardware: ASIC-only (e.g., Antminer S19 Pro, S21 series)

Bitcoin remains the largest and most stable ASIC-mined cryptocurrency. The 2024 halving has made mining significantly more challenging, driving miners toward maximum efficiency. With BTC’s price around $55,000–$60,000 in early 2025, small-scale mining is largely unprofitable unless electricity costs are exceptionally low (<$0.05/kWh). Large-scale miners, however, still benefit from economies of scale.

Pros: Stable value, established market, reliable infrastructure
Cons: High competition, significant upfront costs, tight margins

Litecoin (LTC) + Dogecoin (DOGE) (Merged Mining)

Algorithm: Scrypt
Mining Hardware: ASIC (e.g., Antminer L9, Elphapex DG1+)

Litecoin remains attractive due to merged mining with Dogecoin. Miners simultaneously earn DOGE rewards, substantially boosting overall returns. Even moderate market prices for LTC ($60–80) and DOGE ($0.05–0.10) deliver profitable results when mining with powerful ASICs.

Pros: Dual-mining profitability, relatively lower competition than Bitcoin, stable community
Cons: Power-intensive hardware, moderate price volatility (especially DOGE)

Ethereum Classic (ETC)

Algorithm: Etchash (Ethash variant)
Mining Hardware: ASIC (e.g., Antminer E9, iPollo V1)

Following Ethereum’s shift to Proof-of-Stake, Ethereum Classic saw a significant influx of mining power, driving difficulty upwards. ASIC miners now dominate ETC mining, achieving profitability mainly with low electricity costs.

Pros: Established blockchain, ASIC availability, moderate stability
Cons: High difficulty due to GPU migration, moderate growth potential

Kaspa (KAS)

Algorithm: kHeavyHash
Mining Hardware: ASIC (e.g., IceRiver KS7, Bitmain KS3)

Initially popular with GPU miners, Kaspa’s popularity attracted ASIC manufacturers. By 2025, ASIC miners have pushed out GPUs, significantly increasing competition. Profitability now hinges heavily on electricity rates. With electricity below $0.06/kWh, Kaspa can be very profitable, rivalling Bitcoin in efficiency.

Pros: Innovative tech (blockDAG structure), rising popularity, efficient ASIC hardware
Cons: Increasing competition, slim margins at higher electricity rates

Alephium (ALPH)

Algorithm: Blake3 (Proof-of-Less-Work)
Mining Hardware: ASIC (Blake3-specific)

Alephium introduced a sharded blockchain with energy-efficient mining (Proof-of-Less-Work). ASIC mining is now the norm, and profitability is moderate due to lower power consumption. Alephium appeals to miners looking for a high-risk, high-reward coin, as its market cap remains relatively low ($35 million).

Pros: Innovative sharding technology, efficient ASIC mining, strong long-term upside
Cons: Volatile and lower market cap, higher risk investment

Aleo (ALEO)

Algorithm: zkSNARK-based
Mining Hardware: Specialized ASIC (e.g., IceRiver ALEO AE1 Lite, Goldshell AE Box II)

Aleo is unique, leveraging zero-knowledge proofs (zkSNARK) in mining computations. ASIC mining dominates Aleo now, significantly outperforming GPUs. Though Aleo’s token price dropped from launch highs to around $0.25, mining can be profitable with cheap electricity. Its technology positions Aleo as a speculative play on future blockchain privacy.

Pros: Cutting-edge privacy technology, potential high upside
Cons: Highly speculative, intensive computations, lower short-term profitability

Notable GPU Coins in 2025 (Briefly Mentioned)

  • Ergo (ERG): GPU-friendly Autolykos algorithm, energy-efficient mining.
  • Ravencoin (RVN): ASIC-resistant KawPow algorithm, moderate profitability.
  • Flux (FLUX): GPU-mined decentralized cloud platform, steady growth potential.

Strategic Recommendations for Miners in 2025

  • Diversification: Consider mixing stable coins (BTC, LTC/DOGE) with higher-risk emerging projects (Kaspa, Alephium, Aleo).
  • Electricity Optimization: Secure the lowest possible electricity rates, ideally below $0.06/kWh for ASIC mining.
  • Efficient Hardware: Invest in the most efficient ASIC miners, as marginal improvements significantly impact long-term profitability.
  • Market Watch: Continuously monitor price trends, network difficulty, and community sentiment for emerging coins.

Conclusion: Is Mining Still Worth It in 2025?

Cryptocurrency mining in 2025 remains viable for well-informed, efficiency-driven miners. While major coins like Bitcoin and Litecoin provide stability and predictable returns, smaller and newer projects like Kaspa, Alephium, and Aleo offer opportunities for those willing to navigate higher risk and volatility.

Profitability is tighter than ever, emphasizing the need for optimized hardware, low electricity costs, and strategic planning. By carefully selecting the right cryptocurrencies, considering long-term project potential, and closely managing operational costs, mining remains profitable in 2025.

Stay informed, mine efficiently, and good luck in 2025!