ASIC Mining in 2026: Assessing Profitability and Algorithm-Specific Earnings

In this article, we will answer in detail the questions: is it worth getting into ASIC mining, how quickly will this type of mining pay off, and also which ASICs are the best in 2026!

We will also calculate what's better: investing in ASICs or directly in cryptocurrency and holding (HODLing) until it grows?

In this article you will learn:

ASIC Mining Payback in 2026: Cost Calculation

Further in the article, we will detail the payback of ASICs, both new equipment and used (old models). And also answer the question, is it worth buying used ASICs!

In the table you will see: "Annual profit gross/net" - this is profit after deducting electricity costs (net) and without deducting electricity costs (gross). The calculation was made with an electricity price of $0.08 per kWh and a 1% pool fee.

In general, if you have nearly free electricity, or completely free electricity, then the "gross" column will show your payback period!

The figures may vary slightly, as cryptocurrency prices are very volatile! However, this does not change the essence of the matter + our article is updated as exchange rates fluctuate.

Mining on most ASICs is profitable, however, the entry barrier for this type of mining is very high!

All calculations are made with one unit of equipment (1 ASIC). If you want to build a farm from several ASICs, then simply multiply the resulting amount by the number of ASICs you need!

Payback of ASICs for the Sha-256 Algorithm (Bitcoin)

First, let's consider the most popular coin – Bitcoin (and its derivative coins – SHA-256) and ASICs for it!

IMPORTANT! Where the payback is, for example, 1 year and 5 months (or higher), we round up to the next number (that is, write 2 years), because any small drop in cryptocurrency prices will immediately increase the payback period, so it's always better to plan for the worst-case scenario!

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
Bitmain Antminer S21 XP+ Hyd (500 Th / 5500 Watts)	Sha-256	11.000$	6.714$ / 2.912$	4 years	2 years
Bitmain Antminer S21e XP Hyd 3U (860 Th / 11180 Watts)	Sha-256	13.000$	11.548$ / 3.819$	4 years	1 year and 2 months
Bitdeer SealMiner A3 Pro Hydro (660 Th / 8250 Watts)	Sha-256	9.000$	8.863$ / 3.160$	3 years	1 year and 1 month
Bitmain Antminer S21 XP Hyd (473 Th / 5676 Watts)	Sha-256	8.000$	6.350$ / 2.426$	3 years and 4 months	1 year and 4 months
MicroBT WhatsMiner M73S+ (540 Th / 7200 Watts)	Sha-256	10.000$	7.250$ / 2.275$	5 years	2 years
Bitmain Antminer S21e XP Hyd (430 Th / 5590 Watts)	Sha-256	11.000$	5.774$ / 1.908$	6 years	2 years
Bitdeer SealMiner A3 Hydro (500 Th / 6750 Watts)	Sha-256	8.000$	6.714$ / 2.048$	4 years	2 years
Bitdeer SealMiner A3 Pro Air (290 Th / 3625 Watts)	Sha-256	5.000$	3.895$ / 1.389$	4 years	2 years
ProtoRig (819Th / 12000 Watts)	Sha-256	13.000$	10.998$ / 2.703$	5 years	1 year and 3 months
Bitmain Antminer S21 XP Imm. (300 Th / 4050 Watts)	Sha-256	7.000$	4.082$ / 1.227$	6 years	2 years
MicroBT WhatsMiner M73S (500 Th / 7200 Watts)	Sha-256	9.000$	6.804$ / 1.735$	5 years	2 years
Bitmain Antminer S21 XP (270 Th / 3645 Watts)	Sha-256	4.500$	3.672$ / 1.105$	4 years	1 year and 3 months
Bitdeer SealMiner A3 Air (260 Th / 3640 Watts)	Sha-256	4.500$	3.538$ / 975$	5 years	1 year and 4 months
Bitdeer SealMiner A2 Pro Hyd (500Th / 7450 Watts)	Sha-256	6.500$	6.804$ / 1.562$	4 years	1 year
Bitmain Antminer S21+ Hyd (358 Th / 5370 Watts)	Sha-256	4.000$	4.870$ / 1.094$	4 years	10 months
Bitdeer SealMiner A2 Pro Air (255 Th / 3790 Watts)	Sha-256	3.800$	3.470$ / 802$	5 years	1 year and 2 months
Bitmain Antminer S21+ Hyd (319 Th / 4785 Watts)	Sha-256	2.800$	4.341$ / 975$	3 years	8 months
Bitmain Antminer S21 Pro (234 Th / 3510 Watts)	Sha-256	3.000$	3.182$ / 716$	4 years and 3 months	1 year
Fluminer T3 (115 Th / 1700 Watts)	Sha-256	2.000$	1.566$ / 370$	6 years	1 year and 4 months
MicroBT WhatsMiner M60S+ (212 Th / 3600 Watts)	Sha-256	3.000$	2.844$ / 356$	9 years	1 year and 1 month
MicroBT WhatsMiner M63S (390 Th / 7215 Watts)	Sha-256	7.000$	5.234$ / 244$	29 years	2 years
Bitmain Antminer S19 XP+ Hyd (293 Th / 5567 Watts)	Sha-256	1800$	3931$ / 82$	22 years	6 months

Why is the payback without electricity deduction ("gross") sometimes several times less than the payback including electricity costs?

The thing is, ASICs consume a lot of electricity, sometimes up to 10000 Watts! During a crypto winter and high network difficulty, mining can become unprofitable and in such moments the payback period can be long!

Just imagine: 1 ASIC can consume more than half of the total allocated kilowatt norm for one apartment (we are talking about the electricity cable supplied to an apartment in a building).

But if you have nearly free electricity (or completely free), then the "gross" payback line shows how long it will take to recoup a particular ASIC!

It is also worth noting that Bitcoin mining is perhaps the least risky mining among all algorithms, as Bitcoin is the most reliable cryptocurrency.

But it is also important to understand that entry into BTC mining is very expensive, and the payback can be as short as six months (during a bull market) or as long as 3-5 years (during a bear market).

Payback of ASICs for the Equihash Algorithm (Zec / Zen)

Now let's see how long ASICs for the Equihash algorithm (popular coins: Zcash, Horizen) will take to pay off.

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
Bitmain Antminer Z15 Pro (840 Kh / 2780 Watts)	Equihash	4.500$	12.340$ / 10.418$	6 months	5 months
Bitmain Antminer Z15 (420 Kh / 1510 Watts)	Equihash	2000$	6170$ / 5126$	5 months	4 months

It might be very difficult to find a live Z15 (non-Pro) unit: many stores sell it as used under the guise of new.

It is important to note that Zec has been on a hype for a long time (its price has risen sharply), so don't think that you will 100% manage to jump on this last train!

Be careful, because if the coin returns to its usual price again, the payback will be 4-5 years!

Payback of ASICs for Scrypt (LTC / DOGE)

Now we will look at how quickly ASICs for the Scrypt algorithm will pay off: popular coins Litecoin / Doge.

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
Bitmain Antminer L11 Hyd 2U (35 Gh / 5775 Watts)	Scrypt	16.500$	9.738$ / 5.745$	3 years	2 years
Bitmain Antminer L11 Hyd 6U (33 Gh / 5676 Watts)	Scrypt	16.500$	9.183$ / 5.259$	3 years and 4 months	2 years
Bitmain Antminer L9 Hyd 2U (27Gh / 5670 Watts)	Scrypt	9000$	7513$ / 3592$	3 years	1 year and 3 months
Bitmain Antminer L11 Pro (21Gh / 3612 Watts)	Scrypt	8.500$	5.842$ / 3.348$	3 years	2 years
VolcMiner D1 Hydro (30Gh / 7600 Watts)	Scrypt	8.000$	8.348$ / 3.092$	3 years	1 year
Bitmain Antminer L11 (20 Gh / 3680 Watts)	Scrypt	8.000$	5.565$ / 3.020$	3 years	2 years
ElphaPex DG2+ (20.5Gh / 3900 Watts)	Scrypt	9.000$	5.702$ / 3.009$	3 years	2 years
VolcMiner D1 Pro (20Gh / 3700 Watts)	Scrypt	7.500$	5.565$ / 3.006$	3 years	2 years
VolcMiner D1 Hydro (33Gh / 9300 Watts)	Scrypt	9.000$	9.183$ / 2.754$	3 years and 4 months	1 year
ElphaPex DG2 (18Gh / 3960 Watts)	Scrypt	8.000$	5.007$ / 2.271$	4 years	2 years
Bitmain Antminer L9 (17Gh / 3570 Watts)	Scrypt	4.500$	4.730$ / 2.260$	2 years	1 year
VolcMiner D1 (18.5Gh / 4250 Watts)	Scrypt	9.500$	5.148$ / 2.210$	5 years	2 years
Bitmain Antminer L9 (16Gh / 3360 Watts)	Scrypt	4.000$	4.453$ / 2.131$	2 years	1 year
VolcMiner D1 (16Gh / 3725 Watts)	Scrypt	6.500$	4.453$ / 1.875$	4 years	2 years
ElphaPex DG Hydro 1 (20Gh / 6200 Watts)	Scrypt	6.500$	5.565$ / 1.278$	5 years	1 year and a couple of months
ElphaPex DG1+ (14Gh / 3920 Watts)	Scrypt	4.500$	3.895$ / 1.184$	4 years	1 year and 2 months
VolcMiner D1 Lite (14Gh / 4150 Watts)	Scrypt	5.500$	3.895$ / 1.026$	5 years and 5 months	2 years
ElphaPex  DG1 Lite (11Gh / 3410 Watts)	Scrypt	3.000$	3.060$ / 702$	4 years and 5 months	1 year
Fluminer L1 Pro (6Gh / 1400 Watts)	Scrypt	2.500$	1.670$ / 702$	4 years	2 years
ElphaPex DG1 (11Gh / 3420 Watts)	Scrypt	4.000$	3.060$ / 698$	6 years	1 year and 5 months
Fluminer L1 (5.3Gh / 1200 Watts)	Scrypt	2.000$	1.476$ / 644$	3 years	2 years
ElphaPex DG1S (10Gh / 3100 Watts)	Scrypt	4.500$	2.782$ / 640$	7 years	2 years
ElphaPex DG2 Mini (2.4Gh / 530 Watts)	Scrypt	1.000$	666$ / 302$	3 years and 5 months	2 years
VolcMiner D1 Mini Pre (2.2Gh / 500 Watts)	Scrypt	900$	612$ / 266$	4 years	2 years
Fluminer L2 (1Gh / 230 Watts)	Scrypt	650$	277$ / 118$	6 years	2 years and 6 months

As you can see, here too the payback without electricity deduction ("gross") is sometimes several times less than the payback including electricity costs. Why is that?

The thing is, ASICs consume a lot of electricity, sometimes up to 10000 Watts! During a crypto winter and high network difficulty, mining can become unprofitable, and in such moments the payback period can be long!

But if you have nearly free electricity (or completely free), then the "gross" payback line shows how long it will take to recoup a particular ASIC!

Scrypt is a very popular algorithm! And the entry barrier for mining this algorithm is noticeably cheaper than for Bitcoin!

However, the income here can be lower.

But, here you can periodically mine 2 very popular coins and hold them: Doge and Litecoin!

Payback of ASICs for EtHash / ETCHash (Ethereum Classic)

Now we will look at how quickly ASICs for the EtHash / ETCHash algorithm will pay off: popular coin Ethereum Classic.

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
Jasminer X44-P (23.4 Gh / 2550 Watts)	EtHash / ETCHash	12.000$	5.504$ / 3.740$	3 years and 4 months	2 years and 4 months
Bombax Miner EZ100-PRO (15.5 Gh / 3100 Watts)	EtHash / ETCHash	15.000$	3.646$ / 1.501$	10 years	4 years and 3 months
Bombax Miner EZ100 (12.5Gh / 2300 Watts)	EtHash / ETCHash	12.000$	2.941$ / 1.350$	9 years	4 years
iPollo V2 (10Gh / 1500 Watts)	EtHash / ETCHash	6.000$	2.350$ / 1.314$	5 years	3 years
Bitmain Antminer E11 (9.5 Gh / 2470 Watts)	EtHash / ETCHash	6.000$	2.235$ / 525$	12 years	3 years
Bitmain Antminer E11 (9 Gh / 2340 Watts)	EtHash / ETCHash	6.000$	2.116$ / 500$	12 years	3 years
iPollo V2H (3.4Gh / 475 Watts)	EtHash / ETCHash	2.200$	799$ / 471$	5 years	3 years
Bombax Miner EZ100-C (3.8 Gh / 760 Watts)	EtHash / ETCHash	4.000$	892$ / 367$	11 years	5 years
iPollo V2X (1.2Gh / 165 Watts)	EtHash / ETCHash	1.000$	280$ / 169$	6 years	4 years
Jasminer X16-Q Pro (2.05 Gh / 520 Watts)	EtHash / ETCHash	2.000$	482$ / 122$	17 years	4 years
Jasminer X16-QE (1.75Gh / 550 Watts)	EtHash / ETCHash	1000$	410$ / 32$	32 years	3 years

We will make a general conclusion at the end, but we would like to talk a bit separately about the EtHash / ETCHash algorithm.

Although in many online calculators ETC can often be seen in the top 5 coins by profitability, mining it is still not very profitable, especially if your electricity price is above $0.05!

In this case, the payback for almost all ASICs is more than 3 years.

Yes, of course, everything depends on coin prices, but ETC is not such a popular ASIC coin and considering that some modern ASICs cost more than $10,000, it's worth thinking about the profitability of such mining.

But what if ETC is worth $100+ again?

In that case, even with an electricity price of $0.08, any of the above ASICs (even those over $10,000) will pay back in less than 1 year!

But you must understand that ETC may never return to $100! Always calculate the risks!

Payback of ASICs for zkSNARK (ALEO)

Now we will look at how quickly ASICs for the zkSNARK algorithm will pay off: popular coin ALEO.

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
IceRiver ALEO AE3 (2 Gh / )	zkSNARK	6.000$	10.681$ / 8.330$	9 months	7 months
IceRiver ALEO AE2 (720 Mh / 1300 Watts )	zkSNARK	3.000$	3.844$ / 2.944$	1 year	1 year
IceRiver ALEO AE1 Lite (300 Mh / 500 Watts)	zkSNARK	1.000$	1.602$ / 1.256$	1 year	8 months
IceRiver ALEO AE1 Lite (250 Mh / 500 Watts)	zkSNARK	800$	1.335$ / 990$	1 year	8 months
Goldshell AE Max II (540 Mh / 3200 Watts)	zkSNARK	1.400$	2.883$ / 673$	2 years	6 months
IceRiver ALEO AE0 (60 Mh / 100 Watts)	zkSNARK	350$	320$ / 252$	1 year and 5 months	1 year and 1 month
Goldshell AE Card (5.5 Mh / 65 Watts)	zkSNARK	250$	28$ / never	never	9 years
Goldshell AE Max (360 Mh / 3300 Watts)	zkSNARK	1.500$	1922$ / never	never	10 months

Very important! Prices for these ASICs vary greatly from store to store. In most stores, it's simply a scam and the ASIC at that price simply doesn't exist (if the price is very cheap).

Therefore, study the market carefully! Despite the fact that these ASICs generally pay back quickly – they are cheap, bring very little profit, and are overall not the highest quality!

Payback of ASICs for KHeavyHash (Kaspa)

Now we will look at how quickly ASICs for the KHeavyHash algorithm will pay off: popular coin Kaspa.

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
Bitmain Antminer KS7 (40 Th / 3080 Watts )	KHeavyHash	7.000$	4.168$ / 2.041$	4 years	2 years
IceRiver KAS KS7 (30 Th / 3500 Watts)	KHeavyHash	2.200$	3.128$ / 709$	3 years and 2 months	9 months
IceRiver KAS KS7 Lite (4.2 Th / 500 Watts)	KHeavyHash	800$	439$ / 93$	9 years	2 years
Bitmain Antminer KS5 Pro (21 Th / 3150 Watts)	KHeavyHash	2.000$	2.188$ / 10$	200 years	1 year
Bitmain Antminer KS5 (20 Th / 3000 watts)	KHeavyHash	1.500$	2.084$ / 10$	150 years	9 months
IceRiver KS0 ULTRA (400 Gh / 100 Watts)	KHeavyHash	80$	43$ / never	Never	2 years
IceRiver KS5M (15Th  / 3400 Watts)	KHeavyHash	2.500$	1.562$ / never	Never	2 years
DragonBall Miner KS6 Pro+ (11 Th  / 3600 Watts)	KHeavyHash	5000$	1148$ / never	Never	4 years and 5 months

Interesting observation: in mining, only the latest ASICs are relevant; the previous generation almost all operate at a loss!

Payback of ASICs for Blake3 (Alephium)

Now we will look at how quickly ASICs for the Blake3 algorithm will pay off: popular coin Alephium.

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
Bitmain Antminer AL1 (15.6 Th / 3510 Watts)	Blake3	11.000$	1.180$ / never	Never	9 years
Bitmain Antminer AL1 Pro (16.6 Th / 3730 Watts)	Blake3	11.000$	1.256$ / never	Never	9 years
IceRiver AL3 (15Th  / 3500 Watts)	Blake3	2.500$	1.134$ / never	Never	2 years and 5 months
Goldshell AL Max (8.3 Th / 3350 Watts)	Blake3	2.600$	630$ / never	Never	4 years and 2 months
GoldshellE -AL1M (4.4Th  / 1800 Watts)	Blake3	2.000$	334$ / never	Never	6 years

ASICs for Blake3 are the least profitable. Of course, the cryptocurrency Alephium could also grow, for example, to $2, but it could also fall further, as it is not a super-popular coin that carries technology!

If the coin grows to $2, then the payback period, for example, for the Bitmain Antminer AL1 (15.6 Th / 3510 Watts) will be less than 1 year!

Payback of ASICs for VersaHash (InitVerse)

Now we will look at how quickly ASICs for the VersaHash algorithm will pay off: popular coin InitVerse.

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
Pinecone Matches INIBOX (850 Mh / 500 Watts)	VersaHash	3000$	10314$ / 9968$	4 months	4 months

Important! This coin entered the market relatively recently! Plus, it doesn't have very large trading volumes. And most importantly, it is very volatile: it is constantly storming!

Its payback can be as long as 2 years, or literally 4 months. But always calculate for the worst-case scenario!

Payback of ASICs for SHA512256d (Radiant)

Now we will look at how quickly ASICs for the SHA512256d algorithm will pay off: popular coin Radiant.

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
IceRiver RX0 (260Gh / 100 Watts)	SHA512256d	800$	68$ / never	Never	12 years

The Radiant coin itself has very small trading volumes, is not popular, and there is no guarantee it will survive!

Payback of ASICs for Blake2B-Sia (SiaCoin)

Now we will look at how quickly ASICs for the Blake2B-Sia algorithm will pay off: popular coin SiaCoin.

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
iBeLink BM -S3+ (25Th / 3400 Watts)	Blake2B-Sia	3500$	3182$ / 831$	4 years and 4 months	1 year and 1 month
iBeLink BM-S3 (19 Th  / 3100 Watts)	Blake2B-Sia	2900$	2419$ / 277$	11 years	1 year and 4 months
Goldshell lSC6-SE (17 Th  / 3300 Watts)	Blake2B-Sia	1500$	2160$ / never	Never	9 months

Unpopular coin, very few ASICs are released, almost all of them are unprofitable!

Payback of ASICs for SHA3x (Tari)

Now we will look at how quickly ASICs for the SHA3x algorithm will pay off: popular coin Tari.

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
Goldshell XT-BOX (580Gh / 400 Watts)	SHA3x	2000$	1087$ / 813$	3 years	2 years
Goldshell XT Card (100 Gh / 65 Watts)	SHA3x	310$	187$ / 144$	2 years and 3 months	2 years

MinoTari (Tari L1) – a completely unpopular coin, essentially only 1 ASIC is made for it. Also, the coin has very small trading volumes: it will be quite difficult to exchange this coin on an exchange.

Payback of ASICs for NexaPow (Nexa)

Now we will look at how quickly ASICs for the NexaPow algorithm will pay off: popular coin Nexa.

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
DragonBall Miner A21 (3.4 Gh / 1800 Watts)	NexaPow	7000$	1836$ / 615$	12 years	4 years

Nexa – a semi-dead coin and has almost no trading. Buying an ASIC for it is very risky!

Top Best ASICs for Mining 2026

So, if we're talking about reliability, then ASICs for BTC are best, as it's the most reliable cryptocurrency!

Other coins may at least not increase in price, or at most simply die! Among the tables in the payback list were such algorithms / coins.

Below we have listed the best ASICs for different popular algorithms!

We included in the list ASICs that paid back the fastest, taking into account the deduction of electricity costs!

Bitcoin:

• Bitmain Antminer S21e XP Hyd 3U (860 Th / 11180 Watts)
• Bitdeer SealMiner A3 Pro Hydro (660 Th / 8250 Watts)
• Bitmain Antminer S21 XP Hyd (473 Th / 5676 Watts)
• Bitmain Antminer S21+ Hyd (319 Th / 4785 Watts)

Equihash:

• Bitmain Antminer Z15 Pro (840 Kh / 2780 Watts)
• Bitmain Antminer Z15 (420 Kh / 1510 Watts)

Scrypt:

• Bitmain Antminer L9 Hyd 2U (27Gh / 5670 Watts)
• VolcMiner D1 Hydro (30Gh / 7600 Watts)
• Bitmain Antminer L9 (17Gh / 3570 Watts)
• Bitmain Antminer L9 (16Gh / 3360 Watts)

ETCHash:

• Jasminer X44-P (23.4 Gh / 2550 Watts)

Should you mine with ASICs or better invest in cryptocurrency in 2026?

So, now let's answer the question, what's better: buy an ASIC and mine cryptocurrency, or simply invest that money in cryptocurrency and hold?

The average budget for one ASIC is ~ $8000. Such an ASIC brings a good income.

So, 1 such ASIC, for example, Bitmain Antminer S21 XP Hyd (473 Th / 5676 Watts) will pay off (net: 3 years and 4 months / gross: 1 year and 4 months).

That is, if in 3 years, the price of BTC does not increase and the difficulty does not increase (and it only does that, grows), then after ~ 3 years you will recoup your investment and be able to receive income.

 

BUT! It's not a fact that the ASIC will last that long; it's definitely not a fact that the difficulty won't grow; the rate could fall even more!

However, if the BTC rate rises, then the payback could already be 1-1.5 years!

Simply put, if you manage to accumulate more coins before the start of a bull market, then you can start going into profit faster!

Or another option, you simply invest only in BTC. And you get approximately 0.088 BTC.

If in a year and a half (approximately, like the example payback - provided BTC grows), the Bitcoin price rises to $180,000, then you get:

• from mining: ~ $18,000 (the amount is slightly adjusted, taking into account the increase in difficulty)
• from investing (purchase): $15,840

Overall, a difference of ~$1200 (in favor of mining). But at the same time, you very often have to monitor the equipment: in hot weather think about its additional cooling, and also periodically clean it! Plus, you are not insured against internet failures, power outages, and the most dangerous – fire!

With simple investing, all you need is to think about where to store the coins safely (just not on an exchange), and monitor the rate!

Also, when investing, you can split this amount into 2-3 coins, and possibly get even more profit / or diversify! 

As a result, if you enter mining, then only for proven algorithms, SHA-256 / Scrypt / Equihash, and if you invest, then preferably also in top 10 coins, as they are more reliable. Or 80% in BTC and the remaining 20% in risky / insufficiently reliable coins!

Only you must decide how to handle your funds! Be sure to do detailed research.

Is it worth buying Used ASICs? Risks

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If you need a quick answer – NO, it's not worth it.

Now let's talk about this in more detail.

Average ASIC lifespan: 3-5 years (sometimes less).

Most often, ASICs are monitored much worse than GPU farms. They are cleaned of dust less often, and additional cooling is not always considered.

Also, which is not unimportant, there are many reviews on the internet about ASICs where users report that their equipment begins to lose power already after 1-2 years of active operation (24/7).

It turns out that buying a used ASIC, you can get equipment already with lower performance, and also which is working on its last legs!

Unlike video cards, ASICs are very difficult to repair, and often the repair is more expensive than new equipment, and it's not a fact that there will be such specialists in your city!

What kind of ASIC breakdowns occur:

1. Overheating
2. Power supply failures
3. Chip problems
4. Firmware problems
5. Fan problems
6. Network card problems
7. Controller failure
8. Wear of capacitors and other components
9. Mechanical damage

Conclusion: buying used ASICs is not justified, risky, and there is a high chance that the equipment will not last long! Plus, checking the operation of an ASIC is much more difficult than a used video card!

Payback in 2025: Historical Reference

ASIC Mining Payback - Cost Calculation

Next you will learn about the payback of ASICs, both new and used.

Annual profit gross/net - this is profit after deducting electricity costs (net) and without deducting electricity costs (gross). The calculation was made with an electricity price of $0.09 per kWh and a 1% pool fee.

The figures may vary slightly, as cryptocurrency prices are very volatile! However, this does not change the essence of the matter.

Mining on most ASICs is profitable, however, the entry barrier for this type of mining is very high!

All calculations are made with one unit of equipment (1 ASIC).

Payback of ASICs for the Sha-256 Algorithm (Bitcoin)

First, let's consider the most popular coin – Bitcoin and ASICs for it!

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
Bitmain Antminer S21 XP Hyd (473Th)	SHA-256	14500$	10500$ / 6096$	2 years and 5 months	1 year and 5 months
Bitmain Antminer S21e XP Hyd (430Th)	SHA-256	13500$	9516$ / 5172$	2 years and 8 months	1 year and 5 months
Bitmain Antminer S21 XP Immersion (300Th)	SHA-256	8000$	6684$ / 3540$	2 years and 4 months	1 year and 3 months
MicroBT WhatsMiner M66S++	SHA-256	9500$	8016$ / 3720$	2 years and 7 months	1 year and 3 months
MicroBT WhatsMiner M63S+	SHA-256	12000$	9528$ / 3924	3 years and 1 month	1 year and 3 months
Bitmain Antminer S21 XP (270Th)	SHA-256	8000$	6048$ / 3204$	2 years and 6 months	1 year and 4 months
Bitmain Antminer S21 Hyd (335Th)	SHA-256	8000$	7512$ / 3348$	2 years and 5 months	1 year and 1 month
MicroBT WhatsMiner M63S	SHA-256	7500$	8724$ / 3120$	2 years and 5 months	11 months
MicroBT WhatsMiner M63S++	SHA-256	12000$	10656$ / 2880$	4 years	1 year and 2 months

Payback of ASICs for the Scrypt Algorithm (Doge)

Now let's look at the payback of the Scrypt algorithm.

Spoiler, currently the most profitable ASICs, in terms of payback, are for this algorithm:

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
Bitmain Antminer L9 (17Gh)	Scrypt	10500$	14875$ / 12340$	11 months	9 months
VolcMiner D1 (17Gh)	Scrypt	9000$	14901$ / 11868$	10 months	8 months
Bitmain Antminer L9 (16Gh)	Scrypt	10000$	14028$ / 11416$	11 months	9 months
VolcMiner D1 (15Gh)	Scrypt	12500$	13284$ / 10606$	1 year and 3 months	1 year
ElphaPex DG 1+	Scrypt	7500$	12164$ / 9116$	10 months	8 months
ElphaPex DG 1	Scrypt	8500$	9384$ / 6720$	1 year and 4 months	11 months
Bitmain Antminer L7 (9.5Gh)	Scrypt	8500$	8136$ / 5472$	1 year and 7 months	1 year and 1 month
Bitmain Antminer L7 (9.3Gh)	Scrypt	8400$	7956$ / 5292$	1 year and 8 months	1 year and 1 month
Bitmain Antminer L7 (9.16Gh)	Scrypt	8400$	7848$ / 5184$	1 year and 8 months	1 year and 1 month
Fluminer L1	Scrypt	6000$	4512$ / 3576$	1 year and 9 months	1 year and 4 months
Goldshell DG Max	Scrypt	5500$	5532$ / 2892$	2 years	1 year
Goldshell E-DG1M	Scrypt	4000$	2916$ / 1524$	2 years and 8 months	1 year and 5 months

Payback of ASICs for the Blake3 Algorithm (Alephium)

Next, consider the payback of ASICs for the Blake3 algorithm (cryptocurrency Alephium):

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
Bitmain Antminer AL1 Pro (16.6Th)	Blake3	10500$	12708$ / 9804$	1 year and 1 month	10 months
Bitmain Antminer AL1 (15.6Th)	Blake3	10000$	11946$ / 9216$	1 year and 2 months	11 months
IceRiver AL3	Blake3	4500$	11460$ / 8736$	7 months	5 months
Goldshell AL Max	Blake3	4000$	6348$ / 3744$	1 year and 1 month	8 months
Goldshell E-AL1M	Blake3	3500$	3252$ / 1848$	2 years	1 year and 1 month
IceRiver AL2 Lite	Blake3	1000$	1476$ / 1080	11 months	9 months
DragonBall Miner A40	Blake3	4500$	2436$ / 1188$	4 years	2 years

Payback of ASICs for the EtHash Algorithm (Ethereum Classic)

Ethereum Classic is a popular coin for mining. After Ethereum's transition to PoS, it remained the king of GPU mining.

However, over time, it was taken over by ASICs. Let's look at the payback of ASICs for the EtHash algorithm:

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
Bombax Miner EZ100-PRO	EtHash	13500$	7524$ / 5112$	3 years	1 year and 10 months
Bombax Miner EZ100	EtHash	13000$	6120$ / 4332$	3 years and 1 month	2 years and 2 months
iPollo V2	EtHash	12500$	4884$ / 3720$	3 years and 5 months	2 years and 7 months
Jasminer X16-P	EtHash	7000$	2844$ / 1368$	5 years	2 years and 6 months
Bombax Miner EZ100-C	EtHash	4500$	1848$ / 1260$	3 years and 7 months	2 years and 6 months
iPollo V2H	EtHash	4500$	1644$ / 1272$	3 years and 7 months	3 years

Payback of ASICs for the Kadena Algorithm (Kadena)

Next, consider the payback of ASICs for the Kadena coin (KDA):

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
Bitmain Antminer KA3 (173Th)	Kadena	4000$	4956$ / 2400$	1 year and 8 months	10 months
Bitmain Antminer KA3 (166Th)	Kadena	3700$	4752$ / 2292$	1 year and 8 months	10 months
Bitmain Antminer KS5 Pro (21Th)	Kadena	4000$	600$ / negative	Negative	7 years

Payback of ASICs for the Equihash Algorithm (ZEC / ZEN)

The next algorithm is Equihash. This algorithm and its coins are no longer so popular, but ASICs for it are still being released:

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
Bitmain Antminer Z15 Pro	Equihash	3500$	3912$ / 1752$	2 years	11 months

Payback of ASICs for the Cuckatoo32 Algorithm (GRIN)

Payback of ASICs for the Cuckatoo32 algorithm, coin - GRIN:

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
iPollo G1 Mini	Cuckatoo32	500$	166$ / 73$	7 years	3 years
iPollo G1	Cuckatoo32	5000$	4968$ / 2784$	1 year and 10 months	1 year

Payback of ASICs for the KHeavyHash Kaspa (KAS)

Initially, this algorithm was developed for GPU mining, but later it was taken over by ASICs:

ASIC Name	Algorithm	Average Price	Annual Profit Gross/Net*	Payback Period (Net)	Payback Period (Gross)
Bitmain Antminer KS5 Pro (21Th)	KHeavyHash	4000$	4169$ / 1719$	2 years and 4 months	1 year
Bitmain Antminer KS5 (20Th)	KHeavyHash	3000$	3972$ / 1632$	1 year and 11 months	10 months
IceRiver KS2 Lite	KHeavyHash	1000$	398$ / 9$	100+ years	3 years

Conclusion on Payback of New ASICs in 2025

As you can see, there are ASIC models that pay back in less than a year!

Example:

• Bitmain Antminer L9 (17Gh) - 11 months
• VolcMiner D1 (17Gh) – 10 months

Yes, these are ASICs for the Scrypt algorithm, that is, for the Dogecoin coin, which is growing rapidly.

For example, if the Doge rate crashes again to $0.1 (currently $0.4), then the payback will be different:

 Bitmain Antminer L9 (17Gh):

• 2 years and 6 months gross
• 2 years and 9 months net

It turns out the payback period will increase almost 3 times!

With Bitcoin, things are a bit worse, but the payback there is on average about 2 years!

At the moment, the best ASICs now are ASICs for the Scrypt algorithm!

For other algorithms, buying ASICs is not very profitable, firstly, the coins there are not the most reliable, secondly, the payback is often a bit longer!

Best in 2025?

The best ASICs at the moment are:

• Bitmain Antminer L9 (17Gh) (Scrypt) ~ $10500
• VolcMiner D1 (17Gh) (Scrypt) ~ $9000
• Bitmain Antminer L9 (16Gh) (Scrypt) ~ $10000
• ElphaPex DG 1+ (Scrypt) ~ $7500
• Bitmain Antminer S21 XP Immersion (300Th) (SHA-256) ~ $8000
• Bitmain Antminer S21 XP Hyd (473Th) (SHA-256) ~ $14500
• IceRiver AL3 (Blake3) ~ $4500
• IceRiver AL2 Lite (Blake3) ~ $1000

All these ASICs are for reliable algorithms (and reliable coins, like Bitcoin, Doge and others).

Is it worth mining with ASICs in 2025?

In general, compared to GPU mining, mining on ASICs, on most equipment, is very profitable!

ASICs pay off from 10 months to 2 – 3 years (there are exceptions with payback over 5 years). This if we are talking about modern equipment released in 2023-2024!

However, unlike GPU mining, the entry barrier for ASIC mining is very high!

On average, you will need $9000+ and that's only for 1 ASIC!

In GPU mining, you can conditionally buy just 1 video card for your PC, for $700-1000 and mine in your free time.

If we compare simple cryptocurrency investments or ASIC mining, then we need to consider some points.

ASIC mining:

• Very noisy, not everyone will be able to mine in a regular apartment
• Just 1 ASIC can consume 6000+ Watts, which is not suitable for a regular apartment
• You need to monitor ASICs: blow dust off them, monitor temperature and, if necessary, additionally cool them
• An ASIC can break down / fail and you most likely will not have a warranty, or it will be very difficult to use it

Cryptocurrency investments (long-term / HODL):

• Buy the coin / coins you need once (maximum a couple of times when buying using dollar-cost averaging)
• Monitor rates once a day
• Sell when the market starts to rise

If you have, for example, $9000 and you want to either buy an ASIC or invest it in crypto, then consider all the above points.

Yes, you can conditionally sell the ASIC in 2-3 years, with a loss of 40% of its value.

With investing, you will spend less time. Plus, you can split your budget into several coins.

On average, those who invest long-term get from x2 profit to x4 and more.

However, you must independently weigh all the risks and make your own decision!