ARM Mining: A New Niche in Crypto Mining: Coins, Costs, and Prospects

Learn what ARM mining is and why cryptocurrency mining on smartphones and Raspberry Pi is becoming a trend. We explore the advantages of RandomX, VerusHash 2.2, and Panthera, discuss the best coins for mobile mining, and explain how to start experimenting.

🌍 Why is the world talking about mining on mobile chips?

It might seem like the era of home mining rigs has passed, along with the RTX 3080 graphics cards and noisy ASIC rigs. However, the crypto world is developing unpredictably. Today, there’s a surge of interest in ARM mining —cryptocurrency mining on mobile processors and single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi . Many consider it a pastime, but others call it a new niche in the CPU market. What’s all this about?

The energy efficiency of the ARM architecture attracts enthusiasts. The Scala blog explains that mobile chips are already on par with high-end x86 processors in speed, while their power consumption is lower—ARM predicts that the Cortex-A76 will be able to operate at 3 GHz while consuming less than five watts. The difference is clear: when it comes to mining, every watt counts, especially with rising electricity prices.

But why bother mining on a phone or Raspberry Pi when you have video cards and specialized devices? Firstly, RandomX is an algorithm developed by the Monero community. It was specifically designed to make mining impossible on ASIC hardware, while CPUs are more efficient than graphics cards. The official Monero website emphasizes that RandomX makes mining fairer and more accessible; Monero can be mined on CPUs and GPUs, but CPUs demonstrate superior efficiency.

🔍 ARM vs x86: who wins?

Modern ARM chips are nothing like the “baby chips” of a decade ago. Apple M1/M2, Qualcomm Snapdragon, and even budget Cortex-A53/A76 are now fully-fledged computing platforms. The Italian blog Scala explains that the ARM architecture is rapidly evolving: smartphone power consumption is becoming lower, while performance is improving; many laptop manufacturers are starting to migrate their laptop lines to ARM. According to the authors, this is precisely why mobile devices are becoming attractive for mining.

However, the complexities must not be overlooked. The build instructions for the popular cpuminer-opt on GitHub clearly state that the project supports building on Linux, macOS, and FreeBSD on x86_64 and ARM64; Windows 11 for ARM64 is still “in development .” There are no ARM binaries, and building in the MSYS2 environment on Windows leads to stability issues. This means that an enthusiast wanting to mine on a Surface Pro X or MacBook Air will have to navigate the Clang compiler and numerous dependencies—not a task for a beginner.

On the other hand, specialized crypto projects have picked up the trend and are making their algorithms ARM-friendly. VerusHash 2.2 , used in the Verus Coin network , is designed as a hardware “equalizer”: it uses AES/AVX instructions to give processors an advantage. The project’s official page claims that Verus can be mined efficiently on CPUs, mobile phones, and even individual ARM devices . Verus’ documentation also notes that even mobile phones and ARM single-board computers are suitable for their network, with profitability ratings rated as “high,” while FPGAs or ASICs are not suitable for Verus at all.

🚀 Which coins are chosen for ARM mining?

Another argument in favor of ARM is that more and more projects are developing ASIC-resistant algorithms. The most popular algorithms for mobile miners in 2025–2026 remain:

Monero (XMR) . Thanks to RandomX, this coin remains the focus of CPU miners. Bitget, in its Raspberry Pi guide, emphasizes that privacy-focused Monero remains the “go-to choice” for home mining.
Verus Coin (VRSC) . Thanks to VerusHash 2.2, this coin allows mining multiple chains simultaneously with a single hashrate, and is highly efficient on ARM devices.
RavenCoin Lite (RVL) . The same Bitget guide notes that RVL is optimized for CPU mining and has a manageable difficulty.
Magicoin (MGC) and other lesser-known coins with low network difficulty are a good option for experimenters, but their liquidity is low.

Beyond the coins listed above, the industry is growing: the Scala ecosystem introduced the Panthera algorithm , which combines RandomX, yespower, and KangarooTwelve. The developers claim that yespower is 17% more efficient on ARM than yescrypt, making the algorithm “very mobile-friendly.”

Even projects like Raptoreum are experimenting with hybrid algorithms (GhostRider), forcing X16R and CryptoNight to change every minute, which benefits CPU mining. While the algorithm itself is targeted at x86 processors, the forum community is working on ports for ARM.

🛠️ How to get started: from a Raspberry Pi to a smartphone

For those who decide to try their hand, it’s important to understand: ARM mining is more of an experiment than a stable source of income. Bitget offers a fair warning: a Raspberry Pi with a weak processor can only mine CPU-friendly coins; it’s better to choose a Pi 4 with at least 2 GB of RAM, a high-quality memory card, and cooling. Setup includes installing the OS (Raspberry Pi OS or Ubuntu), updating packages, compiling a miner (XMRig for Monero, cpuminer-multi for other coins), and connecting to a pool. Bitget emphasizes that solo mining is pointless , and connecting to pools that support ARM protocols is mandatory.

What about smartphones? The Verus community released the VerusMiner app , and in 2020, Scala introduced a mobile miner with the AMAYC temperature monitoring system, which stops the process if the device overheats. Even the classic XMRig has builds for Android (Termux), but performance will be poor. Questions on BYDFi indicate that enthusiasts are attempting to mine on Cortex M4 microcontrollers, but the answers warn that the processors are so weak that mining will be more of a hobby than a source of income.

💡 Tips for first steps

Choose a coin and study the algorithm. For Monero, use XMRig; for Verus, use ccminer or VerusMiner; for RVL, use cpuminer-multi.
Ensure cooling. Even a Raspberry Pi can throttle under load. Use heatsinks and cases with fans.
Don’t mine for profit. CPU mining on ARM yields a few cents a day, sometimes less. But you’ll gain experience in setting up Linux, building software, and working with blockchains.
Use a secure wallet. After mining, it’s time to consider the security of your coins. The Crypto-Wallets portal describes the advantages of hardware wallets: Ledger and Trezor store private keys offline and require physical confirmation of transactions. Ledger uses a certified Secure Element and supports over 5,000 assets, while Trezor adheres to an open-source philosophy. These devices protect your earnings even if an attacker physically gains access.

🧠 The Economics and Future of ARM Mining

The economics of CPU mining remain controversial. Cool-Mining emphasizes that CPU mining is primarily relevant for RandomX coins; mining other coins on a CPU is inefficient, and the profits often don’t cover the cost of electricity. They estimate that by 2026, even powerful PCs will generate around $1-2 per day, so beginners would be better off focusing on GPUs or ASICs. Nevertheless, hobbyists run XMRig at night for minimal passive income or simply to get acquainted with the technology.

Proponents of ARM mining counter that the key is not earnings, but participation in the ecosystem. Monero emphasizes that egalitarian mining makes the network resilient: the more people mine on regular devices, the harder it is to attack the blockchain. Verus goes even further: their multi-chain model allows mining up to 22 chains simultaneously with the same hashrate, and rewards are distributed between miners and stakers. This creates an incentive for smartphone and SBC owners to join the network and receive rewards not only in the form of a “coinbase reward” but also from the “fee pool” for transactions and sub-ID creation.

Technological innovations also play a role. Scala developers claim that their Panthera algorithm combines RandomX, yespower, and KangarooTwelve to make mining as energy-efficient as possible on ARM and secure against quantum attacks. Such hybrid algorithms could become a trend if demand for mobile mining continues to grow.

🎯 Conclusion: Myth, Trend, or the Future?

ARM mining isn’t about “easy money.” It’s about participation, experimentation, and ecosystem development. Yes, mining on a smartphone or Raspberry Pi won’t cover the electricity costs. But it does offer an opportunity to tap into blockchain technology, understand how miners work, and contribute to decentralization.

The processor market is experiencing exciting times: ARM architecture is conquering laptops and servers, and the crypto industry is developing algorithms that make CPUs more efficient than graphics cards. Given the growing popularity of Verus, Scala, and similar projects, we can expect the ARM mining niche to expand. Perhaps, over time, we’ll see specialized mobile SoCs with mining as a secondary mode, similar to what we see in gaming smartphones today. In the meantime, enthusiasts have a chance to be pioneers.