<blockquote>
  <p>how do miners switch what coin to mine so quickly</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This is called profit switching, and is usually implemented by the pool software. For example, NOMP explains this feature:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Coin-switching ports using coin-networks and crypto-exchange APIs to
  detect profitability. Miner's connect to these ports with their public
  key which NOMP uses to derive an address for any coin needed to be
  paid out.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>See <a href="https://github.com/zone117x/node-open-mining-portal/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://github.com/zone117x/node-open-mining-portal</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Also do miners store a copy of the blockchain locally?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Typically, no. Miners focus their resources on the hashing algorithm and implement minimum necessary data transfer. Nodes store and validate the data and the miners will just get the latest block template from the node to mine, and then send solutions back.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-21T15:45:17.213Z
OK thank you. So basically all miners do is calculate blocks?
user99201
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-21T16:01:54.780Z
Yeah, the bitcoin ASIC miners are optimized to do SHA256 as fast as possible while consuming as little energy as possible. This is to maximize profitability. In early days a node did mining as well, but it didn't take long to separate the functionality.
JBaczuk
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-21T15:41:43.287Z
2018-08-21T15:41:43.287Z
JBaczuk
<p>Using mining pools, how do miners switch what coin to mine so quickly? Can someone explain?</p>

<p>Also do miners store a copy of the blockchain locally?</p>

<mining-theory>
Using mining pools, how do miners switch what coin to mine so quickly?
user99201
# Using mining pools, how do miners switch what coin to mine so quickly?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-08-21)

Using mining pools, how do miners switch what coin to mine so quickly? Can someone explain?

Also do miners store a copy of the blockchain locally?

**Tags:** mining-theory


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-08-21. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

> how do miners switch what coin to mine so quickly

This is called profit switching, and is usually implemented by the pool software. For example, NOMP explains this feature:

> Coin-switching ports using coin-networks and crypto-exchange APIs to
> detect profitability. Miner's connect to these ports with their public
> key which NOMP uses to derive an address for any coin needed to be
> paid out.

See [https://github.com/zone117x/node-open-mining-portal](https://github.com/zone117x/node-open-mining-portal/)

> Also do miners store a copy of the blockchain locally?

Typically, no. Miners focus their resources on the hashing algorithm and implement minimum necessary data transfer. Nodes store and validate the data and the miners will just get the latest block template from the node to mine, and then send solutions back.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: OK thank you. So basically all miners do is calculate blocks?  
> **username_1**: Yeah, the bitcoin ASIC miners are optimized to do SHA256 as fast as possible while consuming as little energy as possible. This is to maximize profitability. In early days a node did mining as well, but it didn't take long to separate the functionality.  

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