Will Bitcoin mining still have a future in 2025? The dilemma of mobile mining, halving, and individual miners

Want to get BTC for free? This dream has become virtually impossible by 2025. As the total network hash rate surpasses 580EH/s, Bitcoin mining has long evolved from a personal hobby into an industry dominated by institutions. So, what other ways are there for ordinary people to participate? Is mobile mining truly feasible?

What exactly is mining? Why are miners so important?

The essence of Bitcoin mining is simple: miners use mining machines to help the Bitcoin network keep records, and in return, they earn BTC rewards.

Miners control the hash power, and their actions directly determine the life and death of the entire Bitcoin network. Without miners’ activities, block production would halt, and the network would become paralyzed. For this reason, as long as mining remains profitable, there will be continuous participation, driving the stable operation of the BTC network.

How does mining work: an analysis of the Proof-of-Work mechanism

Bitcoin uses a system called “Proof-of-Work” (PoW). In simple terms:

Transactions on the network are bundled into blocks. Miners perform大量 calculations trying to find a hash value that meets certain criteria. The first to find it gains the right to record the block and broadcasts the new block to the entire network. Other nodes verify the correctness, and once confirmed, the block is permanently added to the blockchain.

This process is like solving an extremely difficult puzzle—requiring continuous attempts to find the answer. The mining difficulty is determined by the total network hash rate; the higher the hash rate, the greater the difficulty. Currently, the total network hash rate exceeds 580EH/s, and a single device cannot compete.

Sources of mining income: block rewards and transaction fees

Miners’ income mainly comes from two parts:

Block rewards: Each time a block is successfully mined, the system issues a fixed amount of newly created BTC. This reward halves every four years (from 6.25 BTC in April 2024 to 3.125 BTC).

Transaction fees: Users pay fees for each transfer, which ultimately go into miners’ pockets. As on-chain activity increases (such as the craze for inscriptions), the importance of fee income becomes more prominent.

But there is a harsh reality: individual miners using independent hardware have a success rate approaching zero, as electricity costs and equipment depreciation far exceed potential gains.

Evolution of mining hardware: from CPUs to ASICs

Bitcoin mining hardware has gone through three eras:

CPU era (2009-2012): Mining BTC with ordinary computers was possible, which is why early mining was called “free mining.”

GPU era (early 2013): Graphics card mining became popular, and individual miners still had opportunities.

ASIC era (mid-2013 to present): Professional mining chips dominate the market. Mainstream mining machines like Antminer S19, Avalon 1246, etc., cost over $1000-$2000 each.

The specialization of hardware directly reflects a fact: mining is no longer a low-threshold personal activity but an industrial operation requiring high capital investment.

Changes in mining forms: from lone wolves to mining pools

As hash power competition intensifies, mining methods have undergone profound changes:

Solo mining is almost extinct. Individuals or small organizations have very low success rates.

Mining pools have become mainstream. Multiple miners combine their hash power into pools (such as F2Pool, Poolin, AntPool, etc.) to compete collectively. When the pool successfully mines a block, rewards are distributed proportionally based on contribution.

Cloud mining offers another option: users can rent hash power on platforms without purchasing expensive hardware. But this also means paying platform fees, often significantly reducing actual returns.

Can individuals still mine in 2025? The gap between reality and expectations

Honestly, if you imagine that “just like Satoshi” you can mine a large amount of BTC casually, that is a pipe dream.

The current situation is as follows:

Mining BTC with traditional CPU or GPU solo mining is almost impossible.

Joining a mining pool for collective mining can theoretically earn BTC proportionally, but actual income is negligible, often swallowed up by electricity costs.

Buying new mining machines to join a pool? The initial investment starts at $1000-$2000, plus ongoing electricity, maintenance, and hosting fees, making it hard to break even in the short term. Buying second-hand old miners is even more unprofitable, as lower hash rates reduce competitiveness.

Key conclusion: individual mining is now in an awkward position—technically feasible but economically unviable.

Mobile mining: an unavoidable trap

In recent years, various mobile mining apps have flooded the market, claiming “earn BTC while lying down,” which is a typical marketing gimmick.

The truth is: mobile devices’ computing power is far below professional mining hardware, and participating in real BTC mining competition is like trying to split rocks with an egg. Most so-called “mobile mining” apps are either vaporware or scams that reward virtual tokens rather than real BTC.

For personal users, it is advisable to completely avoid mobile mining apps.

How high are mining costs? How much does it take to mine one BTC?

As of May 2025, the average cost to mine one Bitcoin is approximately $108,256.62. This figure includes:

• Hardware costs: initial investment in mining machines
• Electricity consumption: ongoing monthly expenses
• Cooling systems: air conditioning, heat dissipation, liquid cooling, etc.
• Maintenance and operation: labor, network, daily upkeep
• Pool fees: usually 1-2% of earnings

This means that even if you successfully mine BTC, the costs already constitute a significant portion of the current market price. Only when BTC prices continue to rise or electricity costs drop significantly can miners achieve substantial profits.

How do miners respond to the halving?

The April 2024 halving reduced the block reward from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC, directly impacting miners’ income.

The chain reaction of halving:

Small and medium miners are squeezed out of profit margins and shut down, causing short-term fluctuations in total network hash rate.

High electricity costs and aging equipment lead to a “surrender wave.”

Large mining farms, benefiting from economies of scale, can further consolidate market share.

Miners’ strategies:

Retire old machines, purchase more efficient new miners to reduce electricity costs.

Explore multi-cryptocurrency mining strategies; some pools support automatic algorithm switching, mining Bitcoin and Dogecoin simultaneously.

Relocate to regions with cheap electricity and friendly policies, or increase renewable energy usage.

Use futures contracts for hedging, locking in BTC prices to hedge against market crashes.

Future trends of the mining industry

The post-halving development trend is already clear:

Small miners are gradually exiting, with hash power concentrated in large-scale mining farms with advantages in scale, cheap electricity, advanced equipment, and professional management.

Innovative mining models are emerging, such as mining with waste energy, hybrid farms combining AI computing power rental, etc., trying to open new revenue streams.

The way forward for individual users is to give up the dream of autonomous mining and switch to direct trading or contract operations on exchanges. Trading BTC on platforms like Gate.io allows avoiding the costs of mining hardware, electricity, and technical complexity, while providing opportunities for both long and short positions, profiting whether the market rises or falls.

Final words

Bitcoin mining has transformed: from individual entrepreneurship to institutional competition, from technical thresholds to capital battles.

Personal users who want to earn BTC through mining must carefully evaluate: initial investment in hardware, electricity costs, maintenance expenses, and potential returns. In most cases, this calculation simply doesn’t add up.

Instead of risking losses through independent mining, it’s more rational to participate directly in Bitcoin trading on exchanges, adjusting strategies flexibly and seeking opportunities amid market volatility. This is the most sensible choice for individual users today.