Can you mine Monero?

Yes, you can mine Monero (XMR), and unlike bitcoin, a regular desktop or laptop processor is the intended hardware. Monero uses proof of work with an algorithm called RandomX, which the project says was built to keep mining spread among many people. Every block pays at least 0.6 XMR under Monero's permanent tail emission, so there is always a block reward to compete for. Background on the coin is in what is Monero.

Can you mine Monero with a CPU?

Yes, and that is the design. Moneropedia says RandomX is optimized for CPUs, using random code execution and memory-hard techniques that general processors handle well. It was adopted in Monero release 0.15.

The simplest route is the official Monero GUI or command-line wallet, which can mine with your CPU without extra software. The project says solo mining helps the network, but warns that rewards work like a lottery and can take months to arrive on a small setup. Electricity is a real cost, and whether any setup covers them changes with prices and network difficulty. The same trade-offs for bitcoin are covered in can you mine bitcoin on a laptop.

Can you mine Monero with a GPU?

You can, using third-party software such as XMRig, but the Monero project says CPUs are much more efficient for RandomX. The project points to published benchmarks to compare hardware, while noting some results may be out of date.

Can you mine Monero with an ASIC?

RandomX is designed to discourage ASICs, chips built for a single algorithm, from gaining an advantage. The project says the goal is to keep mining decentralized and spread block rewards more evenly.

Pools raise a related concern. The project lists three options: solo mining, P2Pool and traditional pools. P2Pool is a peer-to-peer pool with no central operator, no pool fee and frequent payouts. Traditional pools also pay often but charge fees. The project warns that a single pool reaching more than half the network's hashrate would be dangerous, the scenario explained in what is a 51% attack.

Can you mine Monero on a phone?

Not through an app from the main app stores. Google Play's policy says it does not allow apps that mine cryptocurrency on devices. Apple's guidelines say apps may not mine unless the processing is off the device, and that apps and the ads inside them may not run background processes such as crypto mining. An app that claims to mine on your phone is therefore either doing something else or operating outside those stores' rules. See do crypto mining apps work for what such apps usually are.

The Monero project says it does not endorse any pool, software or hardware.