Monero Mining Profitability (2025)
Curious if mining Monero (XMR) is profitable right now? The short answer: it depends on your electricity price, hardware efficiency, and current network conditions. This guide explains the variables that drive profitability, gives you a simple revenue formula, and links trusted calculators so you can plug in your own numbers confidently.
Mining Calculators (Quick Links)
- CoinWarz — Monero Calculator — Enter hashrate, power (W), and electricity cost. Profile
- CryptoCompare — XMR Mining Calculator. Profile
- Minerstat — Monero Mining Calculator — Estimated earnings, costs, and profit. Profile
- P2Pool.Observer — Average Share Time — Estimate your expected time between shares at current difficulty. Profile
Why Monero Mining Is Different
- CPU-friendly RandomX: Monero uses the RandomX proof-of-work algorithm, designed to favor general-purpose CPUs and reduce ASIC advantage, helping decentralize mining.
- Predictable tail emission: Since 2022, Monero pays a fixed 0.6 XMR per block with a target 2-minute block time (~720 blocks/day ≈ ~432 XMR/day before fees), providing ongoing miner incentives.
- Decentralized pooling: P2Pool lets you mine in a decentralized pool (no central operator; payouts go directly to your wallet), reducing pool risk and fees.
Key Variables That Drive Profitability
- Your hashrate (H): The performance of your CPU(s) on RandomX.
- Network hashrate (NH) / difficulty: The higher the network hashrate or difficulty, the smaller your share of daily rewards.
- Block reward: Fixed at 0.6 XMR per block.
- Blocks per day: Target 2-minute blocks ⇒ ~720/day.
- XMR price: Determines revenue in your local currency.
- Power draw (kW) & electricity cost ($/kWh): Your largest ongoing expense.
- Pool choice & fees: Traditional pools charge fees; P2Pool has no central operator fee.
- Uptime & stability: Consistent operation matters.
Back-of-the-Envelope Revenue Formula
Expected XMR/day ≈ (H / NH) × (blocks/day) × (block reward)
- Use blocks/day ≈ 720 and block reward = 0.6 XMR to get daily XMR before fees and variance.
- USD/day = (XMR/day) × XMR price.
- Electricity/day = power (kW) × 24 × $/kWh.
- Profit/day = USD/day − Electricity/day − fees.
Tip: Replace variables with current values from the calculators above—network conditions and prices change constantly.
Where to Check Current Profitability
Hardware & Tuning Considerations
- CPUs shine on RandomX: Favor chips with strong per-core performance and a large L3 cache.
- System balance: Use adequate RAM and robust cooling; thermal throttling slashes hashrate.
- Optimization: Miner configuration, huge pages, and background services all impact H.
Pools, Decentralization & Payouts
Mining via a pool smooths out luck variance. With Monero, P2Pool is notable because it’s decentralized—there’s no central custodian of your work or payouts, which go directly to your wallet (you’ll run a Monero node or connect to one, plus the P2Pool software).
Hidden Costs & Risks
- Volatility: XMR price swings can flip profitability.
- Heat, noise, wear: Continuous CPU load increases electricity, cooling, and component wear.
- Opportunity cost: Your hardware can’t do other tasks while mining at full tilt.
- Security: Only download miners from reputable sources; RandomX’s CPU-friendliness attracts cryptojacking malware—keep systems locked down.
Step-by-Step: Estimating Your Profitability
- Measure your hashrate on your intended CPU(s) using a reputable RandomX miner.
- Get current network stats and XMR price (calculators usually pull these).
- Enter your power draw (kW) and electricity price ($/kWh).
- Pick a pool (traditional or P2Pool) and include any fees.
- Compare XMR/day and Profit/day estimates from multiple calculators.
- Stress-test by lowering price or raising difficulty to see worst-case outcomes.
Bottom Line: Is Monero Mining Profitable in 2025?
For miners with cheap power, efficient CPUs, and good uptime, Monero can be competitive—especially if you value decentralization and privacy and use solutions like P2Pool. Profitability isn’t guaranteed; it hinges on ever-changing inputs (price, difficulty, fees). Run the numbers above with live data before buying hardware or committing electricity.
References & Further Reading
- Monero docs: Tail Emission (0.6 XMR per block)
- Monero docs: Block time (target ~2 minutes)
- P2Pool (Monero decentralized pool): github.com/SChernykh/p2pool
- RandomX audits: Kudelski Security audit, Trail of Bits audit
- Calculators: monero.how, minerstat XMR
- Background on threats (cryptojacking): Monero — Mining section
Nothing here is financial or tax advice. Always verify live data before making decisions.
