Bitcoin mining is a process that involves powerful computers attempting to solve complex mathematical equations. It's the method that digital currencies like Bitcoin use to create new units of the coin and validate transactions, making it secure and legitimate. With increasing difficulty in finding blocks to mine, large-scale commercial operations are the norm and require massive resources in terms of power supply and powerful hardware. Yet with a midrange smartphone's price, it is possible to build small-scale mining rigs to explore the idea of Bitcoin mining.

The setup requires three main components--a Raspberry Pi Zero W 2, a USB-based bitcoin miner equipped with Antminer’s BM1397 ASIC chip, and a heatsink case--and it can deliver up to 350 gigahashes per second (GH/s). People call this method as “lotto mining” due to the slim chance of successfully mining a block with such small-scale miners. Statistically, with the hash rate of 350 GH/s, solo miners can potentially mine a block after around 21,400 years. Block rewards are said to run out by 2140 thus making the prospect bleak.

However, joining mining pools like Foundry, AntPool, and F2Pool aids in improving the odds of success. The collective under these pools accounts for over 70% of all Bitcoin blocks mined since their inception and each pool distributes rewards among participants whenever a block is solved.

Individuals have also seen some success with their modestly powered rigs, receiving their own block rewards. While the process is barely profitable, it remains a feasible way of exploring the workings of blockchain technology.



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