YouTuber Stacksmashing said that it would take “a couple of quadrillion years to mine a Bitcoin.”
A computer security researcher created an adaptation for Nintendo’s first large portable console to mine cryptocurrencies. User Stacksmashing employed a Nintendo Game Boy’s hardware, which came to light back in 1989 as a starting point to mine Bitcoin (BTC) since the game console has no built-in wireless capabilities.
The YouTuber said it used a Raspberry Pi microcontroller board plugged into the console’s Link Cable port and a USB flashcard to connect with a BTC node running from your computer.
Stacksmashing wrote his mining code for the Game Boy’s read-only memory, integrated the mining software (modified for the game console), and unleashed a BTC node on his computer. The result was that the nonces increased on the console’s green screen, showing that the team was attempting to mine BTC.
“The hash rate is awe-inspiring, roughly 0.8 hashes per second,” Stacksmashing said:
“If you get to compare it to a current ASIC miner, going at about 100 terahashes per second, you can see that we have almost the same speed, only by a factor of about 125 trillion. At this rate, it should take a couple of quadrillion years to mine a Bitcoin “.
A Quest to Use Gaming Consoles to Mine BTC or Other Cryptocurrencies
Many crypto enthusiasts have been on a quest to use gaming consoles to mine BTC or other cryptocurrencies for some time. Still, the systems do not support such a technology to serve as miners.
Stacksmashing’s attempts to use an 8-bit game console to mine cryptocurrency may have been just for the experience, but he said on Twitter that it wouldn’t happen at the moment.
The computer security researcher claims to have used the Nintendo Super Game Boy (an adapter released in 1994 that allows the original Game Boy games to work on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System) to mine BTC in much the same way.
Initially, Bitcoin’s creator intended for Bitcoin mining to happen on CPUs (your laptop or desktop computer). However, Bitcoin miners then found out the possibility of getting more hashing power from graphic cards. Graphic cards then found displacement by ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits).
Today every severe Bitcoin mining occurs on dedicated Bitcoin mining hardware ASICs, usually in thermally-regulated data-centers and with low-cost electricity.
How Would Users Know Which is The Best Bitcoin Miner
There are some essential factors to look at when determining which Bitcoin mining ASIC to buy. The amount of hashes per second is a significant factor. More hashes cost more, which is why an efficient tool is so vital.
Users also take into consideration the most efficient bitcoin mining hardware possible. Miners use a large amount of electricity. Users need to buy one that converts the most amount of electricity into bitcoins.
By: Jenson Nuñez
