Many users who are looking to mine Ethereum on a PC are using the popular miner, PhoenixMiner. PhoenixMiner has been surrounded with controversy since the beginning of 2021. However, the developers behind the miner have pleaded and stated that it’s safe to use.
I’ll leave some links for both sides so you can make an informed decision.
But, first, Nicehash posted this on their blog, warning about possible malicious bugs and that the anonymous identity of the developers poses a problem. They have pulled it from their application after having it as one of the prominent miners used. Next, there is a response from the developers of PhoenixMiner on the Bitcointalk forum. They believe a smear campaign was launched against them and have documented their conversation with Nichash.
Here are the posts if you’d like to dig a bit deeper.
- Nicehash Blog: STOP using Phoenix miner immediately!
- PhoneixMiner Dev: PhoenixMiner 5.7b: fastest Ethereum/Ethash miner with lowest devfee (Win/Linux)
Regardless, if you choose to use this miner or any miner, you always need to take precautions with your data. I don’t recommend using your mining pc for doing personal things like banking, business, or anything confidential.
What is Phoenix Miner?
PhoenixMiner is a GPU miner worker specifically designed to work with the Ethash algorithm and mine Ethereum. This planned Proof of Work algorithm is a version of Dagger Hashimoto and allows users to earn Ethereum for solving problems with computational effort.
Here are the support algorithms and fees
| Algorithm | Fee % |
|---|---|
| Ethash | 0.65% |
| Blake2s | 0.65% |
| ProgPOW | 0.65% |
| Ubqhash | 0.65% |
Download Phoenix Miner
Phoenix Miner is still actively developed, and the latest version is available for download from their official website.
- The latest version of PhoenixMiner
How to Setup Phoenix Miner
Step 1 Download the miner.
If you have not downloaded the miner, you will need to get a copy to get started. First, save this zip file in a Windows Excluded folder. If skipped, Windows Defender will see this as a threat and automatically remove it. To create an exclusion folder, see this post.
Step 2 Extract contents.
Extract all files from the zip file into the same folder.
Extract filesEnsure that the main executable file ‘PhoenixMiner.exe’ is in the list. If it’s not there, then it may have been removed by security software on your system.
Step 3 Locate the batch file.
Now that you have confirmed all files were extracted, you need to locate the batch file ‘start_miner.bat’. Right-click and select Edit. If prompted to select an application to open it with, choose Notepad or any basic text editor.
Step 4 Edit batch file.
This batch file has three components that require your unique details.
1 Pool Server
2 Wallet Address
3 Worker name
Pool Server: Enter the server address of your pool server. We’re using Ethermine. Here are the available servers.
asia1.ethermine.org
eu1.ethermine.org
us1.ethermine.org
us2.ethermine.org
Pool Port: All ports are 4444, SSL port 5555
Wallet Address: Enter your Etherum wallet address. This address is unique to you and will be used on the Ethermine website when you want to track your worker’s progress. Do not leave the default address. Your wallet will not receive a payment if this is not changed.
Worker Name: This part is optional but helpful if you have multiple computers mining Ethereum on Ethermine. When changing this name, you can give a label that will help identify it later on.
Step 5 Save your changes.
After making all of your edits, save the batch file before running it.
Step 6 Run batch file
When you are ready to run the batch file and begin mining, right-click on the ‘start_miner.bat’, and select ‘Run as administrator.
If you don’t run as an administrator, you might not have the required permissions for it to start.
Depending on your system settings, you may get a prompt from Windows Defender Firewall. Select ‘Allow access’ so the miner can connect to the internet.
Once complete, you will see your miner looking for jobs and processing them.
You can check on the status of your miner by going to the Ethermine website and entering your wallet address. On the pool website, you can see details, like the current hash rate, active workers, and payout settings. However, the pool information needs about 10mins or so before the details populate. So you may not see anything immediately if you go to the site right away.
If you are stuck on any of the steps, I have created the below video guide to walk you through the steps.