What is Dual Mining? How to Set It Up to Mine Two Cryptocurrencies at Once?

Dual Mining Concept and Core Mechanics

1. Dual mining refers to the simultaneous extraction of two different cryptocurrencies using a single hardware setup, typically leveraging shared computational resources such as GPU memory bandwidth or algorithmic similarities between proof-of-work functions.

2. It operates by assigning distinct workloads to overlapping resource domains—such as running Ethash on VRAM while executing RandomX in system RAM—or by interleaving execution cycles across compatible algorithms without significant performance degradation.

3. The feasibility depends heavily on hash algorithm compatibility; for example, Ethereum Classic (ETC) and Ravencoin (RVN) both use variations of Etchash and KawPow, enabling coordinated scheduling within the same miner software instance.

4. Unlike traditional solo mining, dual mining does not require separate physical rigs or duplicated power infrastructure, making it an efficiency-focused strategy rather than a redundancy measure.

5. Hardware constraints remain decisive: older GPUs with limited memory bandwidth often suffer from memory contention, causing one coin’s hashrate to drop sharply when the second workload activates.

Compatible Algorithm Pairs in Practice

1. KawPow + Etchash combinations are widely deployed due to their shared reliance on GPU memory latency and similar DAG generation patterns, allowing miners like T-Rex and GMiner to manage both streams concurrently.

2. RandomX + BeamHash III setups have seen niche adoption where CPUs handle RandomX while high-bandwidth GPUs process BeamHash III, though this configuration demands strict thermal isolation and memory channel partitioning.

3. CuckooCycle variants—including Grin’s C31 and Alephium’s modified C29—can coexist on AMD RDNA2 cards because both stress L3 cache throughput without overwhelming VRAM controllers.

4. Equihash-based coins such as Zcash (ZEC) and Horizen (ZEN) rarely support true dual mining due to divergent nonce search spaces and incompatible solver implementations across major miner binaries.

5. Monero (XMR) is excluded from most dual mining configurations because its RandomX specification mandates exclusive CPU cache access and forbids concurrent memory-mapped operations used by secondary algorithms.

Software Configuration Workflow

1. Choose a dual-capable miner binary—T-Rex v0.26.5 or newer supports KawPow+Etchash natively, while LolMiner v1.52 introduces experimental RandomX+KawPow scheduling via external script hooks.

2. Configure the primary coin parameters first: set pool address, wallet, worker name, and algorithm explicitly before defining secondary parameters in the same config.json file.

3. Assign thread affinity masks manually if running on multi-socket systems; binding RandomX threads to NUMA node 0 while directing KawPow kernels to GPU 1 prevents cross-node memory transfers that degrade stability.

4. Enable real-time monitoring flags like --api-port 4067 and --log-path ./duallog.txt to capture per-algorithm metrics separately during runtime validation.

5. Validate synchronization intervals by checking timestamp-aligned entries in log files—successful dual mining shows alternating “Accepted” submissions tagged with coin identifiers every 15–30 seconds.

Power and Thermal Management Considerations

1. Dual mining increases average power draw by 18–27% compared to single-coin operation on identical hardware, requiring PSU headroom beyond standard 20% safety margins.

2. VRM temperature spikes above 105°C occur more frequently under dual load, especially on B550 motherboards lacking reinforced MOSFET cooling solutions.

3. GPU junction temperatures routinely exceed 82°C when KawPow and Etchash run simultaneously, necessitating custom fan curves that initiate aggressive ramping at 68°C instead of default 75°C thresholds.

4. Undervolting remains effective only for the dominant algorithm; applying voltage offsets to both workloads risks timing violations in memory controller arbitration logic.

5. Airflow obstruction from stacked risers becomes critical—dual mining exacerbates laminar flow disruption, increasing localized hotspots near PCIe slot connectors by up to 12°C.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I dual mine Ethereum and Bitcoin?A: No. Bitcoin uses SHA-256 executed almost exclusively on ASICs, while Ethereum historically used Ethash on GPUs. Their hardware requirements and algorithmic foundations are fundamentally incompatible.

Q: Does dual mining reduce total earnings compared to optimizing for one coin?A: Not necessarily. When algorithm pairs share resource utilization profiles efficiently, combined revenue often exceeds peak single-coin output—especially during periods of elevated block rewards on secondary chains.

Q: Is dual mining supported on NVIDIA Jetson devices?A: No. Jetson platforms lack the PCIe bandwidth and VRAM capacity required for memory-hard PoW algorithms; their ARM-based Tegra SoCs cannot sustain even minimal KawPow or Etchash loads.

Q: Do mining pools recognize dual-mined shares automatically?A: Yes—if both coins use the same pool infrastructure and protocol extensions. For example, 2Miners accepts dual-submitted shares for ETC and RVN under unified worker IDs, but requires explicit algorithm tagging in the miner’s submission headers.