January 28, 2026 — The relentless pursuit of cryptocurrency block rewards has driven miners to employ some of the most bizarre computing hardware imaginable. While application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) miners dominate industrial operations today, a persistent subculture of tinkerers has repeatedly proven a simple axiom: if a device can compute, someone will try to make it mine crypto. From repurposed gaming consoles to the computer that guided astronauts to the moon, the history of cryptocurrency mining is littered with wonderfully impractical experiments. This ingenuity highlights both the decentralized ethos of blockchain and the sheer computational difficulty of modern proof-of-work networks.
PlayStation Consoles: From Gaming Rig to Mining Farm
The line between entertainment and enterprise blurred dramatically when authorities discovered cryptocurrency mining operations utilizing thousands of consumer gaming devices. In a landmark 2021 case, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) dismantled a massive illegal mining operation. The SBU seized approximately 5,000 devices, with an astonishing 3,800 units identified as PlayStation 4 consoles. This illicit farm allegedly siphoned over $260,000 worth of electricity monthly. The raid also recovered 500 graphics processing units (GPUs), 50 central processing units (CPUs), and assorted notebooks and phones.
This was not an isolated incident. By 2024, computer hardware manufacturer ASRock developed a dedicated $15,000 cryptomining rig utilizing 12 AMD BC-250 mining cards. Industry analysts noted these cards were architecturally similar to the chip powering the Sony PlayStation 5. Each rig could achieve a hash rate of up to 610 megahashes per second (MH/s) when mining Ethereum under its former proof-of-work consensus mechanism. YouTubers and independent researchers subsequently conducted public experiments, validating the mining potential of these repurposed gaming components.
The Botnet Menace: Hijacked Smart Devices
Perhaps the most concerning unconventional mining method involves the weaponization of everyday smart devices. In 2017, IBM X-Force researchers identified a variant of the notorious Mirai botnet specifically reconfigured to mine Bitcoin. The original Mirai malware, discovered in 6, infected Internet of Things (IoT) devices like digital video recorders (DVRs) and cameras by exploiting default factory credentials. It famously orchestrated large-scale distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.
Threat actors later modified Mirai’s leaked source code to attempt Bitcoin mining, with peak activity observed in March 2017. The malware targeted Linux machines running BusyBox, a common toolset for embedded devices. Security firm Darktrace documented one instance where the malware infected a DVR camera at a Canadian company. However, IBM researchers expressed skepticism about its profitability. “Given Mirai’s power to infect thousands of machines at a time, there is a possibility that the Bitcoin miners could work together in tandem as one large miner consortium,” they noted, acknowledging the theoretical, if unlikely, potential for success.
- Scale of Compromise: Botnets could conscript hundreds of thousands of low-power devices.
- Primary Target: IoT devices with weak security and constant power.
- Economic Reality: Extremely low individual hash rates made profitability dubious.
Expert Analysis on IoT Security Vulnerabilities
Andrew Fenton, Staff Editor at Cointelegraph Magazine, contextualizes these events within broader security trends. “The Mirai Bitcoin mining variant was less a serious economic threat and more a proof-of-concept for the vulnerability of our connected world,” Fenton states. “It demonstrated that any networked computer, regardless of its intended purpose, could be coerced into participating in the global competition for block rewards. This forced a major reckoning in IoT security standards.” This perspective is supported by continued advisories from institutions like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) regarding the hardening of networked devices.
Retro Tech Revival: Mining on a Game Boy
In 2021, YouTuber stacksmashing embarked on a project that combined nostalgia with cryptographic absurdity: mining Bitcoin on a 1989 Nintendo Game Boy. The process required a Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller, a modified link cable, and custom software. The Game Boy ran a custom read-only memory (ROM) image utilizing the same SHA-256 implementation found in Trezor hardware wallets.
The mining code created an endless loop where the Game Boy received block data from a connected computer, attempted to find a valid nonce, and reported back. stacksmashing reported a hash rate of roughly 0.8 hashes per second. For context, modern ASIC miners operate at speeds exceeding 100 terahashes per second. “We are almost as fast, only off by a factor of 125 trillion,” he joked in his video demonstration. He estimated it would take quadrillions of years to successfully mine a single Bitcoin block. “Obviously, mining Bitcoin on a Game Boy is anything but profitable, but I learned a lot of things while building this and definitely had a ton of fun,” he concluded.
Historical Hardware: The Apollo Guidance Computer
Vintage computer restorer Ken Shirriff set his sights even further back in time. In 2019, he successfully ran Bitcoin mining software on the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC), the system that navigated the Apollo missions to the moon. “Trying to mine Bitcoin on this 1960s computer seemed both pointless and anachronistic, so I had to give it a shot,” Shirriff wrote. The AGC, a marvel of its era with only a few kilobytes of memory, presented immense challenges.
Shirriff could not use the original core rope memory, which took weeks to manufacture. Instead, he employed a simulator, custom software, and a specially designed interface board to load and execute the mining program. The result was a staggering 10.3 seconds per hash, equating to 0.10 hashes per second. Shirriff calculated that at this rate, mining a single block would require a duration one million times the current age of the universe. This experiment stands as a definitive benchmark for the slowest conceivable method of mining using authentic historical computing hardware.
| Device | Hash Rate | Time to Mine One Bitcoin Block (Est.) | Year of Experiment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Game Boy | 0.8 H/s | ~Quadrillions of Years | 2021 |
| Apollo Guidance Computer | 0.1 H/s | ~1 Million x Universe Age | 2019 |
| Modern ASIC Miner (e.g., Antminer S21) | 234 TH/s | ~10 Minutes (network average) | 2026 |
The Analog Extreme: Pen and Paper Mining
Ken Shirriff also explored the absolute theoretical limit of manual computation years earlier. He demonstrated that the SHA-256 algorithm could be executed entirely by hand with a pen and paper. In a detailed video, he completed one round of the hashing algorithm in 16 minutes and 45 seconds. A full Bitcoin block requires 128 rounds, translating to roughly 1.5 days of continuous manual calculation for a single hash—a rate of 0.67 hashes per day.
“I decided to see how practical it would be to mine Bitcoin with pencil and paper. It turns out that the SHA-256 algorithm used for mining is pretty simple and can, in fact, be done by hand,” Shirriff explained. Comparing this to Bitmain’s Antminer S21 Pro, which performs 234 terahashes per second, the manual method is approximately 30 quintillion times slower. “Not surprisingly, the process is extremely slow compared to hardware mining and is entirely impractical,” he stated, offering a whimsical backup plan for a post-apocalyptic world without electricity.
The Unrealized Concept: Microsoft’s Body Activity Patent
In 2019, Microsoft filed a provocative U.S. patent titled “Cryptocurrency System Using Body Activity Data.” The concept proposed using human physiological signals—such as brain waves, body heat, or eye movement—as a form of “proof-of-work” or “proof-of-humanity.” Users could theoretically earn cryptocurrency for performing tasks like viewing ads or solving CAPTCHAs, with their unconscious bodily functions serving as verification.
Inventors Dustin Abramson, Derrick Fu, and Joseph Johnson Jr. suggested this as an alternative to energy-intensive computational mining. “Instead of massive computation work required by some conventional cryptocurrency systems, data generated based on the body activity of the user can be a proof-of-work,” the patent application read. However, public records indicate the application was abandoned by 2021. The idea remains a fascinating footnote in the history of seeking alternative consensus mechanisms, though no functional system based on it has emerged.
Conclusion
The history of mining Bitcoin and cryptocurrency with weird devices is more than a catalog of technical curiosities. These experiments, from the criminal misuse of PlayStation farms to the academic exercise of mining on an Apollo computer, serve as boundary markers. They define the extreme edges of what is computationally possible and economically viable. They underscore the core attribute of proof-of-work: it is a measurable competition where efficiency always wins. While these unconventional methods will never rival industrial ASIC operations, they continue to symbolize the creative, decentralized, and occasionally eccentric spirit that has permeated the cryptocurrency space since its inception. As hardware evolves, so too will the inventive, if impractical, attempts to harness it for the purpose of discovering new blocks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Can you actually mine Bitcoin profitably with a PlayStation or Game Boy?
No, it is not profitable. Devices like PlayStation consoles or a Nintendo Game Boy produce hash rates billions of times slower than modern ASIC miners. The electricity cost to run them would far exceed the minuscule value of any cryptocurrency they might ever generate, making it a financial loss.
Q2: Why would anyone try to mine crypto with such slow, weird devices?
The motivations vary. Some are educational experiments to understand blockchain technology and hardware limits (like the Game Boy or Apollo computer projects). Others are illicit attempts to use stolen hardware or electricity (like the PlayStation farm). Most are driven by curiosity, not profit.
Q3: What was the most successful ‘weird device’ mining operation?
The most impactful in scale was the illicit Ukrainian farm using thousands of PlayStation 4 consoles. While still inefficient compared to ASICs, the sheer volume of devices allowed it to operate until discovered. In contrast, solo experiments like the Apollo computer mine effectively zero cryptocurrency.
Q4: Has unconventional mining affected the security of Bitcoin?
No. The combined hash rate of all these unconventional devices is infinitesimal compared to the global Bitcoin network hash rate. They pose no threat to network security. Their primary impact has been in highlighting IoT security flaws (via botnets) or serving as cultural talking points.
Q5: What does this trend say about the future of crypto mining hardware?
It reinforces that mining will continue to be dominated by increasingly specialized, efficient hardware like ASICs. Weird device mining is a fringe activity that demonstrates the high barrier to entry for profitable participation in major proof-of-work networks like Bitcoin.
Q6: Are there any legal risks to experimenting with mining on old devices?
Experimentation for personal education is generally legal. However, using modified devices or software to mine on networks without permission (like hijacking a botnet) is illegal. Using stolen electricity or hardware, as in the PlayStation farm case, constitutes serious criminal fraud and theft.
