With the Ethereum Merge approaching this month, Ethereum miners will no longer be needed by the network. But don’t worry! There are many options for Ethereum miners to keep earning crypto. Recently, Bitmain has released new firmware for the Antminer E9 rigs, making it possible to mine on the Ethereum Classic (ETC) network.
Ethereum Merge is NOT the end for ETH miners
The Ethereum Merge is a significant update for the Ethereum network that switches the network from a proof-of-work (PoW) to a proof-of-stake (PoS) protocol. Within the new PoS network, miners won’t play a role. As a result, this step is received with much criticism by experts and, of course, miners.
While it is true that PoS uses less energy, most of the criticism against using the protocol revolves around security and decentralization. For many, PoW, with the help of miners, is still the way to go in running a network as decentralized and secure as possible.
Many ETH miners are therefore looking for other opportunities. For example, there likely will be at least one fork after Ethereum finalizes the Merge. This fork will not follow through on the Merge and will stay with the PoW protocol. However, it is unlikely that these forks will get much support from larger exchanges.
Ethereum Classic, also a fork, is an older network that already has a lot of support from exchanges and other platforms. That network won’t make the step to PoS either; thus, ETC is an interesting place for miners to continue their operations.
Bitmain releases ETC firmware for Antminer E9
Such a switch needs some preparations, though. Mining manufacturers like Bitmain help their customers with the switch by releasing new firmware. For example, Bitmain recently released new firmware for the popular Antminer E9 models, making it possible to mine ETC with them.
The new firmware supports mining ETC through the mining pools Antpool, Poolin, and F2Pool. If you have an Antminer E9 and want to mine ETC, visit the official Bitmain website here, select Ethash, download the firmware, turn off your mining rig and restart it. Next, you should configure the mining pool you want to mine with, and you’re ready to continue earning crypto!
You can always contact us if you would like assistance with upgrading your mining rigs. We are more than willing to help you with all your mining-related questions and issues. Don’t have an Antminer E9 yet? Find the best deals for Antminer E9 here!
