Everyone is after a bit of cryptocurrency these days, but is the Commodore 64 really the answer to mining Bitcoin? No.
But while earning is a better option than mining, some crypto enthusiasts are looking at retro systems to see what possibilities are available. The Nintendo Gameboy has already been used as a crypto miner but more recently is has been the Commodore 64’s turn thanks to YouTuber 8-Bit Show And Tell.
Written in C (with a hash rate of 0.3 per second) the C64 is of course hopeless at mining Bitcoin. But it can be speeded up slightly – writing the software in machine code could increase it by 10 times, while a SuperCPU accelerator cartridge could enhance the mining by 20 times.
Neither is likely to mine a Bitcoin within the lifetime of planet Earth, however. Nevertheless, 8-Bit Show And Tell have made a great video.
Can we strike it rich using “Bitcoin Miner 64” by YTM/Elysium on the Commodore 64? We’ll even pull out the SuperCPU 20MHz 65816 processor upgrade to see if it helps. Additionally we’ll set up a serial link from the C64 to a Windows 10 laptop to transfer a block to solve.
It’s a fun way to take advantage of a dormant C64, but don’t expect to make any money. You’ll make more selling the 8-bit legend!
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.
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