Cryptocurrency  

Can You Make Money Mining Cryptocurrency with a Raspberry Pi in 2025?

Abstract / Overview

In the early 2010s, cryptocurrency mining was open to anyone with a laptop or DIY spirit. Today, however, industrial-scale operations dominate the scene. The idea of using a $35 Raspberry Pi to “get rich” by mining digital coins sounds romantic—but is it viable in 2025?

This article dissects that question through the lens of hardware performance, blockchain economics, and energy consumption. It concludes that while a Raspberry Pi remains a valuable educational tool, it is no longer a realistic path to crypto wealth.

raspberry-pi-crypto-mining-hero

Conceptual Background

From CPU to ASIC: The End of Easy Mining

  • Bitcoin (BTC) originally relied on CPUs and GPUs.

  • By 2013, ASIC miners (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits) began outperforming consumer devices by thousands of times in hash rate.

  • A Raspberry Pi today can manage around 0.02 MH/s on SHA-256 algorithms, compared to ASIC rigs that exceed 200 TH/s.

Result: Bitcoin mining on a Raspberry Pi would take billions of years to find a single block.

Proof-of-Stake Changed the Rules

Most newer blockchains, including Ethereum since its Merge in 2022, no longer rely on mining. Instead, they use staking, where validators are rewarded for locking up coins rather than burning electricity on computations.

In other words:

  • There’s nothing to “mine” on proof-of-stake networks.

  • Profit comes from staking yield, not computational power.

Energy Economics

According to data from the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), global Bitcoin mining consumes around 130 TWh per year.
A Raspberry Pi’s 5-watt draw is tiny, but so are its earnings—less than one cent per month in realistic scenarios.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough

1. Theoretical Setup

If you still want to experiment, the process is straightforward:

  • Install Raspberry Pi OS.

  • Run a lightweight mining client (e.g., cpuminer or bfgminer).

  • Join a mining pool (e.g., Slush Pool, ViaBTC) to share rewards.

  • Use a USB ASIC (e.g., GekkoScience NewPac) for improved hash rate.

2. Measured Output

ConfigurationHash RatePower UseMonthly Profit (USD)ROI
Pi 4 CPU only0.02 MH/s5W<$0.01Negative
Pi 4 + USB ASIC50 GH/s15W~$0.10Negative
Industrial ASIC (Antminer S19)110 TH/s3250W~$150Positive (if electricity < $0.08/kWh)

Conclusion: The only profitable miners use specialized ASICs, not general-purpose hardware.

3. Alternative: Mine Alternative Coins

Some altcoins, such as Monero (XMR) or VerusCoin (VRSC), are CPU-friendly.
However, even there, a Raspberry Pi’s limited cache and frequency (~1.5 GHz) keep performance below profitable thresholds.

You can join community experiments like:

  • PiMiner (a learning project)

  • Monero Node on ARM (for running a privacy node)

  • Raspberry Pi staking wallets for PoS coins (Cardano, Solana, Tezos)

Diagram: How Raspberry Pi Fits in the Crypto Ecosystem

raspberry-pi-crypto-mining-flowchart

Use Cases / Scenarios

  • Educational use: Learn blockchain protocols, transaction verification, and node synchronization.

  • Node operation: Run a full or archival node for lightweight chains (Bitcoin testnet, Litecoin).

  • Proof-of-Stake validator: Operate a staking node for low-resource blockchains.

  • IoT integration: Combine Raspberry Pi and blockchain for supply-chain tracking or IoT trust layers.

Limitations / Considerations

  • Zero profitability: Market math guarantees no ROI.

  • Network difficulty: Adjusts faster than low-power miners can compete.

  • Hardware wear: Sustained CPU mining shortens component lifespan.

  • Centralization: ASIC farms dominate most proof-of-work systems.

Fixes and Workarounds

  • Use Raspberry Pi for learning, not earning.

  • Redirect energy into running a node instead of mining.

  • Participate in testnets or airdrop campaigns for new coins.

  • Explore staking-as-a-service platforms if you hold sufficient tokens.

Example staking setup JSON:

{
  "staking_node": {
    "platform": "Cardano",
    "hardware": "Raspberry Pi 4",
    "memory": "8GB",
    "os": "Ubuntu Server 22.04",
    "validator_keys": "stored securely offline",
    "network": "mainnet",
    "estimated_yield": "4.5% APR"
  }
}

FAQs

Q1. Can I mine Bitcoin on a Raspberry Pi?
Technically, yes, but profits are near zero. It’s best treated as a technical demonstration.

Q2. Is any cryptocurrency profitable to mine on a Raspberry Pi?
No mainstream coin. Some obscure projects offer token incentives, but none offset energy or hardware costs.

Q3. What about using multiple Raspberry Pis in a cluster? Even a 100-node Pi cluster can’t match a single ASIC miner’s performance.

Q4. Can I stake crypto on a Raspberry Pi? Yes. Proof-of-Stake coins like Cardano, Tezos, or Solana can run validator nodes efficiently.

Q5. What is the educational value? Running a node helps understand network consensus, block validation, and peer-to-peer architecture.

References

  • Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index, 2024.

  • Wired, Can You Get Rich Using a Raspberry Pi to Mine Crypto?, 2024.

  • McKinsey & Company, The State of Web3 and Blockchain 2025.

Conclusion

Mining cryptocurrency with a Raspberry Pi in 2025 is no longer financially feasible. The economics of energy, difficulty adjustment, and specialized hardware have eliminated any chance of profit.

Yet, its educational utility endures. The Raspberry Pi remains a gateway to understanding distributed systems, blockchain operations, and decentralized validation. Treat it as a learning investment, not a source of income.

Disclaimer

This material is educational, not financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency prices, mining difficulty, fees, and pool policies change without notice and can render configurations unprofitable. Verify local laws, export controls, KYC/AML rules, and tax obligations before operating miners or receiving payouts. Use strong operational security for wallets, seeds, and pool credentials. Mining hardware draws continuous current and produces heat; follow electrical and fire-safety standards and use powered USB hubs rated for your load. You are responsible for backups, data loss, pool trust, firmware integrity, and any damage to hardware or facilities. No warranty or guarantees of earnings or outcomes are provided.

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