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Can't buy a graphics card for mining? Overseas YouTubers teach you how to turn childhood memories into a Bitcoin mining machine

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Due to the overall high market of cryptocurrencies, there is a significant increase in the profitability of cryptocurrency mining, prompting many old and new miners to purchase equipment and assemble mining rigs to join this gold rush. However, the high demand for mining, coupled with mid-tier traders hoarding goods to drive up prices, has led to a shortage of graphics cards in the market. As a result, some overseas YouTubers have come up with the idea of ​​modifying the handheld game console "Game Boy" into a Bitcoin mining machine.

Game Boy Transformed into a Bitcoin Mining Rig

In a video released by YouTuber stacksmashing, he detailed how he modified a Game Boy and connected it to the Bitcoin network system.

In the video, he mentioned that with Elon Musk announcing Tesla's acceptance of Bitcoin payments, it's now time to get into the "Bitcoin mining game." However, unable to find suitable graphics card rigs online, the YouTuber decided to get creative and transform his gaming console into a mining rig.

As the Game Boy console itself cannot connect to the internet and publish blocks to the Bitcoin network even if mining successfully, he modified the port originally used for players to connect and exchange Pokémon to a simple USB adapter. He then connected the Game Boy console to a computer to interact with the Bitcoin network through the computer.

Finally, he downloaded a full Bitcoin node on the computer and modified the mining program's code to outsource the mining work from the computer to the Game Boy, successfully transforming the Game Boy into a mining rig. However, due to the Game Boy's rudimentary hardware (4.19 MHz CPU, 8 KB VRAM), mining Bitcoin successfully is almost impossible. The YouTuber humorously remarked in the video:

"The hash rate is quite impressive, about 0.8 hashes per second! If you compare it to modern ASIC chip mining rigs, you'll find that our speed is almost the same, just about 125 million times slower."

At this rate, his Game Boy would need millions of years to have a chance at mining a new Bitcoin block. Nevertheless, the YouTuber stated that while he couldn't make money, the process of the transformation was fun for him, making it all worthwhile.