Mining
Intermediate
What is
Difficulty Adjustment?
Automatic adjustment of mining difficulty to maintain consistent block times despite hash rate changes.
Difficulty adjustment ensures blocks are found at a target rate regardless of total mining power. Ergo adjusts difficulty every block using an epoch-based algorithm, targeting ~2 minute blocks. This prevents both too-fast blocks (during hash rate surges) and too-slow blocks (during drops).
Key Points
- Maintains ~2 minute block target
- Adjusts every block on Ergo
- Responds to hash rate changes
- Prevents gaming/manipulation
- Ensures consistent block production
- Uses epoch-based calculation
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Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about Difficulty Adjustment
Common questions about this topic
What can I do with Ergo?
Ergo supports a full ecosystem: trade on Spectrum DEX, use SigmaUSD stablecoin, mix transactions with ErgoMixer, collect NFTs on SkyHarbor, mine with GPUs, lend/borrow on DuckPools, bridge to other chains via Rosen, and build dApps with ErgoScript. It's a complete platform for decentralized finance and applications.
Explainer
Getting Started
How to get started with Ergo?
Start by getting a wallet (Nautilus for browser, Terminus for mobile). Back up your seed phrase securely offline. Get some ERG from an exchange (Gate.io, KuCoin) or DEX (Spectrum). Make a test transaction. Then explore: try DeFi on Spectrum, check out NFTs, or dive into the technology if you're a builder.
How-to
Getting Started
What is Autolykos and how does it work?
Autolykos is Ergo's memory-hard Proof-of-Work algorithm designed for GPU mining. It requires significant RAM (currently ~2.5GB), making ASIC development uneconomical. Autolykos v2 (current version) allows pool mining while maintaining ASIC resistance. The algorithm promotes decentralization by keeping mining accessible to consumer hardware.
Explainer
Mining
How do miners earn money on Ergo?
Ergo miners earn from three sources: block rewards (newly minted ERG), transaction fees, and storage rent. Block rewards decrease over time according to the emission schedule, but storage rent ensures long-term income even after all ERG is mined. Most miners use pools for consistent payouts.
How-to
Mining