if you going to mine Alt coins don't mine the btc type, i would do script coins you can still make a nice profit if you have the speed ,I wouldn't even bro with SHA256 alt coins any more unless there merge mind while you mine BTC . I don't mean nice hash, west hash, mining either .
Who said you can't mine btc anymore you can as long as Bitmain, Alvan etc sell to the public, you can keep doing it. it may cost per miner, it's still there.
I don't see how a company/s will ever be able to shut it down to The public,and sense there is no way to, other then stop selling miners to the public , it won't stop, unless bitcoins become worthless or laws make it illegal.
Bitmain, has no plans to stop selling either in fact they now offer to fix old S3 S5 and up hash boards, at a cost, they all ways would but now they give out RMA's and have a set price range and tell you how to do get a RMA on there site.
CPU mining was how it all started and not worth it any more , you can still do it, if you want a very high Electricity bill, then go for it .you won't make jack etc and end up paying the power company or worse have your power shut off because you can't pay the bill and there is no such thing as free Electricity , I won't even get in to why it is not free, we all pay it, in one way or the other even those who call it free pay.
Video card or GPU mining is a debate thing, some say they make more then if they mine BTC . i don't know and I'm not going to find out either because it would cost to much per amd or nvidia card to reach that speed , so that a lone makes BTC or script mining with your own hard ware, the best ways to go .
last thing, cloud mining , MY only thoughts are, i don't trust it, i really have, no control over it,
Unless you rent hard ware hash , or have the hardware hosted ,
I wouldn't do it unless you have tons of cash to waste, to me that's not even a investment.
From what Ive seen with that type of cloud mining you can't pick were you want to mine, you really don't know if the operator/s, are being totally honest with pay outs, most cloud company's want you to spend at least 300 $ upfront.I know about
https://www.genesis-mining.com/login?ref=spondoolies and other cloud company's, even thought about wasting a 100 bucks @ Genesis to give it try, i know you can start at 23 bucks and build it .
Cloud mining is the worst of them all , there is all ways the risk of being ripped off , by that mean, if you have full or all most full control over the hardware, it is still and will all ways be the best way to go, if you mine.
IF you don't mine, then buy btc and invest.
Cya
