<p>FPGAs and GPUs are reprogrammable, so you can use them for anything. FPGAs require some specialised programming, while GPUs just use OpenCL.</p>

<p>ASICs have specialised chips highly optimised for mining and only mining. I don't think they could ever be reprogrammed or reused to do anything else than mining blocks according to Bitcoin rules.</p>

<p>As for what to do with that hardware, have you considered such noble causes as <a href="http://folding.stanford.edu/English/HomePage" rel="nofollow">Folding@home</a>, or perhaps less noble split-key vanity mining, for example through my <a href="https://vanitypool.appspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Vanity Pool website</a>?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-19T06:21:06.933Z
2012-09-19T06:21:06.933Z
ThePiachu
<p>You could use your obsolete mining hardware to help cryptographers find some  collision for the sha256 hash function. See <a href="http://cristal.univ-lille.fr/3sum-pool" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this page</a> for the relevant project.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-07T17:37:35.410Z
Is this yours? Thanks for setting it up. My personal opinion is that this kind of stress-testing and research would be best applied to Sha 3. (Graphics cards and FPGAs could be ideal). Would also be good to see the distinct value add  of this research against what has already been done in KDFs. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_derivation_function
makerofthings7
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-07T15:12:36.450Z
2017-10-07T15:12:36.450Z
Charles Bouillaguet
<p>It's pretty easy to reuse CPUs or Video cards that were previously used for Bitcoin hashing, but what can I do with FPGA hardware when the difficulty becomes too high for it to be worthwhile to mine?</p>

<p>Are there competing networks I can mine for?  Are there other technologies (like email/hashcash) that can reuse the hardware with little modification?</p>

<p>Is there a similar way to recycle old ASIC's when the time comes?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-02T09:59:45.190Z
Related: [Bitcoin Mining ASICs used for cryptographic application?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/7236/1652) and [Why can't ASIC chips designed for a single task be re-used?](http://embedded.stackexchange.com/q/67/171)
kenorb
<hash><asic><mining-hardware><fpga>
What other purposes can I use my [obsolete] hashing hardware for?
makerofthings7
# What other purposes can I use my [obsolete] hashing hardware for?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-09-19)

It's pretty easy to reuse CPUs or Video cards that were previously used for Bitcoin hashing, but what can I do with FPGA hardware when the difficulty becomes too high for it to be worthwhile to mine?

Are there competing networks I can mine for? Are there other technologies (like email/hashcash) that can reuse the hardware with little modification?

Is there a similar way to recycle old ASIC's when the time comes?

**Tags:** hash, asic, mining-hardware, fpga

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Related: [Bitcoin Mining ASICs used for cryptographic application?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/7236/1652) and [Why can't ASIC chips designed for a single task be re-used?](http://embedded.stackexchange.com/q/67/171)  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-09-19. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

FPGAs and GPUs are reprogrammable, so you can use them for anything. FPGAs require some specialised programming, while GPUs just use OpenCL.

ASICs have specialised chips highly optimised for mining and only mining. I don't think they could ever be reprogrammed or reused to do anything else than mining blocks according to Bitcoin rules.

As for what to do with that hardware, have you considered such noble causes as [Folding@home](http://folding.stanford.edu/English/HomePage), or perhaps less noble split-key vanity mining, for example through my [Vanity Pool website](https://vanitypool.appspot.com/)?


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-10-07. Score: 0

You could use your obsolete mining hardware to help cryptographers find some collision for the sha256 hash function. See [this page](http://cristal.univ-lille.fr/3sum-pool) for the relevant project.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Is this yours? Thanks for setting it up. My personal opinion is that this kind of stress-testing and research would be best applied to Sha 3. (Graphics cards and FPGAs could be ideal). Would also be good to see the distinct value add  of this research against what has already been done in KDFs. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_derivation_function  

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