the process of generating the bitcoins is called mining. to generate a bitcoin, a miner must solve a math problem. however, the difficulty of the math problem depends on how many people are mining for bitcoin at the moment. because of how complicated the math problems usually are, they must be calculated with very powerful processors. these processors can be found in cpus, graphics cards, or specialized machines called asics. people who use these machines to mine bitcoins are called miners. miners either compete with one another or work together in groups to solve a mathematical puzzle. the first miner or group of miners to solve the particular puzzle are rewarded with new bitcoins.