Is mining dead ?

[Amph]

I don't know if it is profitable for most, but looking at the hashrate still increasing over time mining certainly is not dead.

http://bitcoin.sipa.be/

it's because of the new s7, with better efficiency, as log as they cna milk on efficiency, the hashrate will always increase, but there will be a point where efficiency will be no longer a key factor, and thus the whole thing will be stuck

[Lenore]

Don't bother. There's no money in mining Bitcoin anymore unless you have a lot to invest in hardware upfront.

Currently it isn't indeed. However, if the Bitcoin appears to be worth $1000 / $5000 next year, it appearently as profitable to mine now. However, you can also just buy the BTC now instead then, I think that's the better choice.

Electricity costs + initial costs to set up miners (including the actual buying of the devices ) in relation to the current income of BTC, makes it often not profitable to mine now. You might however, if your costs are very few.  Mining altcoins might be profitable as some of them appear to be very volatile; and new ones might become worth something later on.

However, this does not mean that "mining" is dead. If the mining was "dead" and thereby no one mines anymore, the Bitcoin itself would be dead as no transactions can be handled anymore.

it is better to buy now, because buy the time you will roi, you will lose a big opportunity to have more bitcoin in case the diff rise and your profit will be reduced

instead with buying you could have much faster the same amount of bitcoin, wasted for purchasing the miners

Now how do you know that the price will rise again.  I know it constantly fluctuates but who is to really say the price will reach over $300 again.  Any signs or models that show that it will?

[Amph]

Don't bother. There's no money in mining Bitcoin anymore unless you have a lot to invest in hardware upfront.

Currently it isn't indeed. However, if the Bitcoin appears to be worth $1000 / $5000 next year, it appearently as profitable to mine now. However, you can also just buy the BTC now instead then, I think that's the better choice.

Electricity costs + initial costs to set up miners (including the actual buying of the devices ) in relation to the current income of BTC, makes it often not profitable to mine now. You might however, if your costs are very few.  Mining altcoins might be profitable as some of them appear to be very volatile; and new ones might become worth something later on.

However, this does not mean that "mining" is dead. If the mining was "dead" and thereby no one mines anymore, the Bitcoin itself would be dead as no transactions can be handled anymore.

it is better to buy now, because buy the time you will roi, you will lose a big opportunity to have more bitcoin in case the diff rise and your profit will be reduced

instead with buying you could have much faster the same amount of bitcoin, wasted for purchasing the miners

Now how do you know that the price will rise again.  I know it constantly fluctuates but who is to really say the price will reach over $300 again.  Any signs or models that show that it will?

at this point the only way is waiting for the halving, because every news is not doing anything on the price, they just want more exposure for themselves

[Mickeyb]

No mining is not dead. Hashrate wouldn't be going up like crazy if it was dead. Many people that have resources and advantages (like cheap electricity) keep investing in mining a lot.

Unfortunately, mining is dead for the small people. Even worse for me is that mining becomes unprofitable for certain regions and only the regions with cheap electricity like China for example, are really profiting. We will where this brings us to, especially after the halving, if price stays the same then mining will become even more unprofitable for many people.

[Lenore]

So mining isnt dead it just on vacation.

[alani123]

Mining is not dead, mining efficiency keeps going up. And if this remains that way I could see profit based mining surviving for even longer.

[Lituation]

It's more accurate to say mining is a dead investment when you think about other investment options. You can earn more money by Bitcoin trading, opening a BTC exchange, offering forex trading services etc.
Mining could be profitable but the profit you get would probably be less than all other investments'.

[notlist3d]

It's more accurate to say mining is a dead investment when you think about other investment options. You can earn more money by Bitcoin trading, opening a BTC exchange, offering forex trading services etc.
Mining could be profitable but the profit you get would probably be less than all other investments'.

It all depends you can also lose money trading, unless your talking about buying and holding.   Yes buying and holding likely is one of the safest bets.

But many of us enjoy mining.  It is not dead just a lot harder.   When it will be really hard is having, don't know what will happen there.

[VirosaGITS]

It's more accurate to say mining is a dead investment when you think about other investment options. You can earn more money by Bitcoin trading, opening a BTC exchange, offering forex trading services etc.
Mining could be profitable but the profit you get would probably be less than all other investments'.

Like what? What beat Mining's 200% per Annum?  Are you saying you can ROI faster with trading, safely, with minimal time investment, whatever you put in Trading every 4 months?

[alh]

It's more accurate to say mining is a dead investment when you think about other investment options. You can earn more money by Bitcoin trading, opening a BTC exchange, offering forex trading services etc.
Mining could be profitable but the profit you get would probably be less than all other investments'.

Like what? What beat Mining's 200% per Annum?  Are you saying you can ROI faster with trading, safely, with minimal time investment, whatever you put in Trading every 4 months?

I am not tracking here. You are suggesting that a mining enterprise produces a 200% per year return? You buy a $2000 S7 today, and you'll have $6000 at the end of one year (i.e. a 200% return)? I don't think even a Ponzi scheme will produce those kinds of returns.

+200% per year is not possible. You can only hope for a +150% bump in BTC price. Even the long fabled "Free Electricity" will not produce a +200% return in a year.

[VirosaGITS]

It's more accurate to say mining is a dead investment when you think about other investment options. You can earn more money by Bitcoin trading, opening a BTC exchange, offering forex trading services etc.
Mining could be profitable but the profit you get would probably be less than all other investments'.

Like what? What beat Mining's 200% per Annum?  Are you saying you can ROI faster with trading, safely, with minimal time investment, whatever you put in Trading every 4 months?

I am not tracking here. You are suggesting that a mining enterprise produces a 200% per year return? You buy a $2000 S7 today, and you'll have $6000 at the end of one year (i.e. a 200% return)? I don't think even a Ponzi scheme will produce those kinds of returns.

+200% per year is not possible. You can only hope for a +150% bump in BTC price. Even the long fabled "Free Electricity" will not produce a +200% return in a year.

No i meant Break even in 4 months, then at least another 100% over the rest of the year + what the ASIC is worth at that time. Should be 150-200% total, yes. So maybe i should say "Break even every 4 months".

[Lenore]

For ones holding loads of coins. How about lending?

[alh]

I am curious about what assumptions you make to "Break Even" after 4 months in terms of original costs, electricity costs, and difficulty changes. You assuming the same BTC price at the end of 4 months?

[VirosaGITS]

I am curious about what assumptions you make to "Break Even" after 4 months in terms of original costs, electricity costs, and difficulty changes. You assuming the same BTC price at the end of 4 months?

Yes. Difficulty is easy to assume over 3-4 months. Its a bit harsher right now assuming 5%~ steps.

And if the BTC price is -20% then you would be 20% behind at marked time. Or you could be +20%. No point in speculating on that one. Specially if you count your ROI in BTC and not USD. And obviously cheap electricity is needed.

[crazyearner]

I would say mining is far from dead and gone past the point. All you need is good equipment like the newq s7. With each version that has come out energy and reduction of what it use to use has also dropped. I remember the days of s1 using 500watt and close to 600 when overclocked for 200GH. Now can use 1TH and use 1100 massive difference in power use. But still you need a good kw/h rate or going to be gobbled up and never make a RIO. So long as you have cheap energy or even better free energy you have a chance at making RIO or very close to and be also able to mine other sha coins that come out and have a double chance getting more back.

[Amph]

For ones holding loads of coins. How about lending?

there is the possibility of being scammed, you need a very good collateral, if you want to lend a high amount

but maybe it can be more profitable than mining for some people

[IanQuinn]

 -- Removed --

[crazyearner]

It's more accurate to say mining is a dead investment when you think about other investment options. You can earn more money by Bitcoin trading, opening a BTC exchange, offering forex trading services etc.
Mining could be profitable but the profit you get would probably be less than all other investments'.

Like what? What beat Mining's 200% per Annum?  Are you saying you can ROI faster with trading, safely, with minimal time investment, whatever you put in Trading every 4 months?

I am not tracking here. You are suggesting that a mining enterprise produces a 200% per year return? You buy a $2000 S7 today, and you'll have $6000 at the end of one year (i.e. a 200% return)? I don't think even a Ponzi scheme will produce those kinds of returns.

+200% per year is not possible. You can only hope for a +150% bump in BTC price. Even the long fabled "Free Electricity" will not produce a +200% return in a year.

[Promoting]

Given the new S7 your break even is now about 18 - 24 months when looking at all the expenses and the halving coming up.

Why not do cloud mining where you do not have to worry about equipment. 

Please view our posting in Marketplace -> Securities

If that is fact for an s7 18 to 24 months never going to RIO unless price of BTC goes up and can recover that way else BTC paid for machine and energy cost and diff factors it not going to cut it. Even gaining 200% RIO is impossable unless you got free energy and time on your hands to produce the coin and even then a big mining cluster could come on line and change it to never brake even.

[VirosaGITS]

It's more accurate to say mining is a dead investment when you think about other investment options. You can earn more money by Bitcoin trading, opening a BTC exchange, offering forex trading services etc.
Mining could be profitable but the profit you get would probably be less than all other investments'.

Like what? What beat Mining's 200% per Annum?  Are you saying you can ROI faster with trading, safely, with minimal time investment, whatever you put in Trading every 4 months?

I am not tracking here. You are suggesting that a mining enterprise produces a 200% per year return? You buy a $2000 S7 today, and you'll have $6000 at the end of one year (i.e. a 200% return)? I don't think even a Ponzi scheme will produce those kinds of returns.

+200% per year is not possible. You can only hope for a +150% bump in BTC price. Even the long fabled "Free Electricity" will not produce a +200% return in a year.

[Promoting]

Given the new S7 your break even is now about 18 - 24 months when looking at all the expenses and the halving coming up.

Why not do cloud mining where you do not have to worry about equipment. 

Please view our posting in Marketplace -> Securities

If that is fact for an s7 18 to 24 months never going to RIO unless price of BTC goes up and can recover that way else BTC paid for machine and energy cost and diff factors it not going to cut it. Even gaining 200% RIO is impossable unless you got free energy and time on your hands to produce the coin and even then a big mining cluster could come on line and change it to never brake even.

I never ever said "mining with an S7 is 200% ROI". The S7 is ridiculously overpriced. You can get twice the GH/$ with other miners. The S7 is the last miner i would invest in at the moment. I'd get a bunch of S3's long before i get a S7 at current prices.

My miner of choice at the moment is the S5. The S4/+ also work. And underclocked S1 to an extent (but probably not for long, but i ROI'd them in 2 months and they are still profitable at the moment).
Then lastly S3 do very well, and eventually underclocked as difficulty increase, as it will be same or better than stock S5 but less space efficient.

[QuintLeo]

Realistically, for ANY miner to achive RoI at this point needs 2 of the 3 following factors

 (1) VERY cheap purchace price
 (2) VERY cheap or free electric
 (3) Bitcoing price to start going up at the same or very close to the same rate as Diff increases

 *AND*

 The miner must be profitable for some months at your electric cost.


 Based on current trends, I doubt that ANY miner currently available at current pricing is going to RoI unless your electric rate is 5 cents / KWH or less, or you get the miner for a very few cents on the dollar of what it originally cost when new.
 I also doubt that any current miner will be profitable past the halfing, unless Bitcoin price jumps quite a bit before that, or the diff increase rate of the last couple months flattens back out to LESS than we saw on average during the first 7 months or so of 2015.


 I suspect that the early part of 2015 is going to be seen, 3-4 years from now, as the "silver" period of Bitcoin mining (the gold period being the timeframe before Bitcoin exceeded $1000).