In this article, I will discuss the best proof-of-work coins that still profitable in 2026. Despite market volatility and increasing mining difficulty, some cryptocurrencies remain lucrative for miners.
I’ll highlight the top coins that offer the best returns, including Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Litecoin, and others, and explore the key factors impacting their profitability in today’s mining environment
Key Points & Best Proof-of-Work Coins Still Profitable In 2025 List
| Cryptocurrency | Key Points |
|---|---|
| Bitcoin (BTC) | The first and most well-known cryptocurrency; decentralized, secure, and widely accepted. |
| Dogecoin (DOGE) | Originally a meme coin, now widely used for tipping and microtransactions; inflationary supply. |
| Litecoin (LTC) | A faster alternative to Bitcoin with lower transaction fees and a different hashing algorithm (Scrypt). |
| Zcash (ZEC) | Focuses on privacy, using zk-SNARKs for shielded transactions, offering anonymity. |
| Ravencoin | A high-speed, low-cost blockchain with a focus on scalability and decentralized applications (dApps). |
| DigiByte | Aims to be a user-friendly cryptocurrency with a focus on decentralization and mining via consumer hardware. |
| Alephium | Focuses on fast, low-cost transactions with a self-funding, decentralized governance model. |
| Syscoin | Utility token for the Binance exchange with use cases in trading fee discounts and DeFi applications. |
| Monero | A proof-of-stake blockchain designed for secure and scalable smart contracts, focusing on research-driven development. |
9 Best Proof-of-Work Coins Still Profitable In 2025
1.Bitcoin
Bitcoin (BTC) continues to be a forerunner in proof-of-work cryptocurrencies, providing profitable avenues for miners.
According to projections for January 2024, Bitcoin’s SHA256 algorithm was the third most profitable to mine, bringing in around $10.60 – $11.52 a day for every 335-390 terahash per second (TH/s) of hashpower mined, assuming a cost of $0.12 per kilowatt hour for electricity.
In 2025, it is anticipated that the economics of mining will remain constant, with costs for major miners sitting somewhere between $26,000 and $28,000 for Bitcoin.
Miners, however, have to contend with rising energy costs coupled with increasing network difficulty which affects earnings.
| Aspect | Bitcoin (BTC) |
|---|---|
| Consensus Mechanism | Proof-of-Work (PoW) |
| Mining Algorithm | SHA-256 |
| Mining Hardware | ASIC miners (e.g., Antminer S19) |
| Block Time | 10 minutes |
| Current Mining Profit | Approximately $10–$12 per TH/s (depending on electricity costs) |
| Mining Difficulty | Adjusts every 2,016 blocks; has been increasing due to more miners joining |
| Electricity Costs Impact | High electricity costs can significantly reduce profitability |
| Price (2025 Estimate) | $26,000 to $28,000 per Bitcoin (mining cost estimate) |
| Profitability Trend | Stable in the long term, with fluctuations based on price and mining difficulty |
2.Dogecoin
Originally introduced as a meme coin, Dogecoin (DOGE) has transformed into a lucrative proof-of-work cryptocurrency for miners. BIT Mining reported in December 2024 that its DOGE mining operations alone brought $100 million in profits, which vastly outweighed its Bitcoin mining profits.
Newer models of ASIC miners, such as Bitmain Antminer L9, which was introduced in May 2024, have a hash rate of 17.6 GH/s and power usage of 3,260W.
At the current $0.10 per kWh electricity price, these miners make roughly $57 per day. Additionally, profit margins can be further increased with dual mining due to DOGE’s compatibility with Litecoin (LTC).
Nonetheless, profit is affected by electricity prices, the effectiveness of the mining hardware, and the health of the market, so caution must be considered prior to investing in mining operations.
| Aspect | Dogecoin (DOGE) |
|---|---|
| Consensus Mechanism | Proof-of-Work (PoW) |
| Mining Algorithm | Scrypt |
| Mining Hardware | ASIC miners (e.g., Antminer L3+) |
| Block Time | 1 minute |
| Current Mining Profit | Approximately $0.10–$0.12 per MH/s (depending on electricity costs) |
| Mining Difficulty | Adjusts based on network hash rate |
| Electricity Costs Impact | Low electricity costs favor profitability |
| Price (2025 Estimate) | $0.10 to $0.15 per Dogecoin (market-dependent) |
| Profitability Trend | Fluctuates based on market conditions and mining difficulty |
3.Litecoin
Litecoin (LTC) is a major proof-of-work cryptocurrency whose network hashrate has increased by 30% in the January 2025 to March 2025 period, marking new highs in mining activity.
This higher competition has also led to a reduction of $10 in daily profits for miners with optimal equipment such as the Bitmain Antminer L8.
Litecoin’s price as of March 2025 stands at roughly 90.80 USD. These shifts show the changing profitability of mining depending on network activity and market forces.
| Aspect | Litecoin (LTC) |
|---|---|
| Consensus Mechanism | Proof-of-Work (PoW) |
| Mining Algorithm | Scrypt |
| Mining Hardware | ASIC miners (e.g., Antminer L3+) |
| Block Time | 2.5 minutes |
| Current Mining Profit | Approximately $0.20–$0.25 per MH/s (depending on electricity costs) |
| Mining Difficulty | Adjusts every 2,016 blocks; increases as more miners participate |
| Electricity Costs Impact | Electricity costs significantly affect profitability |
| Price (2025 Estimate) | $85–$100 per Litecoin (market-dependent) |
| Profitability Trend | Stable but fluctuates based on market conditions and mining difficulty |
4.Zcash
Zcash (ZEC) mining has been rewarding. In 2018, it’s estimated that Zcash mining was over 400% more profitable than Bitcoin mining with the average Antminer Z9 mini users making an estimated $8000 over two years.
As of today, mining profitability has decreased paying out $1.02 in losses per day when using an Antminer Z15 Pro.
Current electricity markets combined with future projections suggest that ZEC’s price may reach $85 towards the end of 2025, which means that miners will have to take a closer look at profitability.
| Aspect | Zcash (ZEC) |
|---|---|
| Consensus Mechanism | Proof-of-Work (PoW) |
| Mining Algorithm | Equihash |
| Mining Hardware | ASIC miners (e.g., Innosilicon A9, Antminer Z15) |
| Block Time | 2.5 minutes |
| Current Mining Profit | Approximately $0.60–$0.80 per 1.2 KH/s (depending on electricity costs) |
| Mining Difficulty | Adjusts based on network hash rate |
| Electricity Costs Impact | High electricity costs reduce profitability significantly |
| Price (2025 Estimate) | $85–$100 per Zcash (market-dependent) |
| Profitability Trend | Dependent on market price and mining difficulty |
5.Ravencoin
Mining Ravencoin (RVN) is currently unprofitable. As of February 23, 2025, with a mining setup of 350 MH/s hash rate and 2,900W power consumption, miners incur a daily loss of approximately $3.78, considering electricity costs of $0.10 per kWh.
Additionally, RVN’s price is forecasted to range between $0.0132 and $0.0193 in April 2025. Therefore, miners should carefully evaluate their electricity rates and hardware efficiency before investing in Ravencoin mining.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Algorithm | KawPow (Proof-of-Work) |
| Mining Hardware | GPUs (e.g., RTX 3070, 3080, and similar models) |
| Power Consumption | Approx. 250-300W per GPU |
| Hashrate Range | 20-50 MH/s per GPU |
| Electricity Cost | $0.10 per kWh (variable by location) |
| Current RVN Price | ~$0.014 to ~$0.02 (fluctuates) |
| Estimated Profitability | Currently low (daily losses for typical setups) |
| Network Difficulty | ~3,000 to 4,000 (fluctuates) |
6.DigiByte
Mining DigiByte (DGB) is currently unprofitable. As of March 18, 2025, with a mining setup of 17,000 MH/s hash rate and 3,450W power consumption, miners incur a daily loss of approximately $8.28, considering electricity costs of $0.10 per kWh.
Additionally, the DigiByte network’s hashrate has declined from a peak of 432.59 PH/s in September 2020 to 151.27 PH/s by February 2025, indicating reduced network activity. Therefore, miners should carefully evaluate their electricity rates and hardware efficiency before investing in DigiByte mining.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Algorithm | SHA256, Scrypt, and others |
| Mining Hardware | ASICs (e.g., Antminer S19) and GPUs (for Scrypt) |
| Power Consumption | Varies by hardware (e.g., 3250W for Antminer S19) |
| Hashrate Range | 110 TH/s (for ASIC) |
| Electricity Cost | $0.10 per kWh (variable by location) |
| Current DGB Price | ~$0.01 to ~$0.02 (fluctuates) |
| Estimated Profitability | Currently low (daily losses for typical setups) |
| Network Difficulty | ~1000 (fluctuates) |
7.Alephium
Alephium (ALPH) has emerged as a profitable proof-of-work cryptocurrency, attracting miners with its efficient consensus mechanism, proof-of-less-work (PoLW). In August 2024, the Bitmain ALPH miner AL1, delivering 15.6 TH/s, yielded approximately $308 daily after electricity costs.
However, profitability is influenced by factors such as hardware efficiency and electricity expenses. Miners should assess their specific circumstances before investing in Alephium mining.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Algorithm | Proof-of-Less-Work (PoLW) |
| Mining Hardware | ASICs and GPUs (e.g., Alephium AL1) |
| Power Consumption | ~1200W per miner (varies by setup) |
| Hashrate Range | 15.6 TH/s per Alephium AL1 |
| Electricity Cost | $0.10 per kWh (variable by location) |
| Current ALPH Price | ~$0.04 to ~$0.06 (fluctuates) |
| Estimated Profitability | Moderate (depending on electricity and hardware) |
| Network Difficulty | ~500 TH (fluctuates) |
8.Syscoin
Syscoin (SYS) utilizes merged mining with Bitcoin, allowing miners to secure both networks simultaneously without extra energy consumption.
However, as of March 18, 2025, mining Syscoin with a 390 TH/s hash rate and 7,215W power usage results in a daily loss of approximately $8.66, given current difficulty levels and electricity costs.
Therefore, miners should carefully assess hardware efficiency and electricity expenses before investing in Syscoin mining.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Algorithm | SHA256 (merged mining with Bitcoin) |
| Mining Hardware | ASICs (e.g., Antminer S19) |
| Power Consumption | ~3250W per miner (for Antminer S19) |
| Hashrate Range | 110 TH/s (for ASIC) |
| Electricity Cost | $0.10 per kWh (variable by location) |
| Current SYS Price | ~$0.06 to ~$0.08 (fluctuates) |
| Estimated Profitability | Low to moderate (depends on electricity costs) |
| Network Difficulty | ~20 PH (fluctuates) |
9.Monero
Monero (XMR) remains a profitable proof-of-work cryptocurrency, especially for miners utilizing CPUs due to its RandomX algorithm, which is designed to be ASIC-resistant.
As of mid-2024, mining Monero with the Bitmain Antminer X5 yielded a daily profit of $2.49, with the miner priced at $2,860, resulting in a payback period of approximately 1,149 days.
However, profitability is influenced by factors such as electricity costs and hardware efficiency, so miners should assess their specific circumstances before investing.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Algorithm | RandomX (CPU and GPU mining) |
| Mining Hardware | CPUs (e.g., AMD Ryzen) and high-performance GPUs |
| Power Consumption | ~100W to 250W per miner |
| Hashrate Range | 10-12 KH/s per CPU, 300-400 KH/s per GPU |
| Electricity Cost | $0.10 per kWh (variable by location) |
| Current XMR Price | ~$140 to ~$160 (fluctuates) |
| Estimated Profitability | Moderate (dependent on hardware efficiency) |
| Network Difficulty | ~200 million (fluctuates) |
Conclusion
To sum up, in 2025 the most profitable coins Litecoin, Bitcoin, Dogecoin and Zcash are expected to remain as the best proof-of-work coins.
Even though the profitability of mining is subject to market conditions and other factors like electricity costs and mining difficulty, these coins still promise some return on investment.
The reality is that as the industry becomes more competitive, miners will have to focus on the effectiveness of their hardware, the activity on the network, and the value of the coin.
