Intermediate Ethereum Classic Mining Guide Etchash

Ethereum Classic Mining Guide 2026: How to Mine ETC with GPUs

Francesco Zinghinì June 12, 2026 9 min read

Ethereum Classic (ETC) is the continuation of the original Ethereum chain — the one that refused to reverse the 2016 DAO hack — and since Ethereum's switch to proof-of-stake in September 2022 it has become the largest GPU-minable network by market capitalisation. If you own gaming GPUs and want to mine a major, exchange-listed asset, ETC is the default answer in 2026. This guide covers Etchash, hardware selection, miner software, and full setup.

Etchash: ETC's GPU-Friendly Algorithm

Ethereum Classic mines with Etchash, a variant of Ethash adopted in November 2020 via ECIP-1099. Like Ethash, it is memory-hard: the miner repeatedly reads from a large dataset (the DAG) held in GPU VRAM, making memory bandwidth — not raw compute — the bottleneck. The 2020 recalibration halved the DAG epoch size, keeping 3–4 GB cards viable and invalidating the Ethash ASICs of the day.

After Ethereum's Merge in 2022, a wave of orphaned GPU hashrate migrated to ETC, permanently raising its difficulty baseline. The miners who remained profitable were those with efficient cards, tuned undervolts, and cheap power. That formula has since run out of room: on 27 October 2026 the difficulty baseline puts break-even below $0.006/kWh, which no tuning reaches.

Hardware: Which GPUs Make Sense

Indicative Etchash performance (tuned/undervolted):

NVIDIA RTX 4090 — ~62 MH/s at ~350 W stock, dramatically better around 250–280 W undervolted. Top single-card output.
NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti — ~48 MH/s at ~290 W; abundant on the used market from the last mining boom.
AMD RX 6800 XT — ~39 MH/s at ~150 W tuned; outstanding efficiency per watt, the value pick.

Tuning is not optional. Stock power limits sacrifice 20–40% efficiency. Standard practice: lower the core clock/voltage, raise the memory clock, and target the card's efficiency sweet spot. Compare cards directly on our GPU comparison pages.

Step-by-Step: Mining ETC

Step 1 — Create an Ethereum Classic Wallet

ETC uses standard EVM addresses (0x…). Options: a hardware wallet (Ledger, Trezor), MetaMask configured for the Ethereum Classic network (chain ID 61), or an exchange deposit address for immediate selling.

Step 2 — Choose a Pool

Major ETC pools in 2026: 2Miners (PPLNS 1%, SOLO option), F2Pool (~2%), K1Pool, and Nanopool. Fee tables and payout thresholds on our Ethereum Classic pools page.

Step 3 — Install Mining Software

Standard choices: lolMiner and GMiner (NVIDIA + AMD), T-Rex (NVIDIA), TeamRedMiner (AMD). Typical launch line:

lolMiner --algo ETCHASH --pool etc.2miners.com:1010 --user 0xYourAddress.rig1

Verify reported hashrate matches the pool dashboard after 30 minutes, then start tuning power limits per card.

Ethereum Classic Network Statistics (June 2026)

Algorithm: Etchash (memory-hard, GPU-dominated)
Block time: ~13 seconds (~6,600 blocks/day)
Block reward: 1.6384 ETC — the fourth 20% step under ECIP-1017; next reduction to 1.31072 ETC (−20% every 5M blocks)
Supply cap: ~210.7 million ETC (fixed by the emission schedule)
Address format: EVM-compatible (0x…), chain ID 61

Profitability and Strategy

Run your cards through the live ETC calculator with tuned (not stock) figures. As of 27 October 2026 it returns a loss on every GPU listed above at any realistic tariff — break-even sits near $0.006/kWh — so read the notes below as what to watch for if the economics turn, not as a case for switching rigs on today:

Efficiency beats raw speed — a 150 W RX 6800 XT often out-earns a stock 350 W card per dollar of electricity; at today's difficulty that means it loses less, not that it earns
GPUs hold resale value — unlike ASICs, a GPU that stops mining profitably is still a gaming/AI card; your downside is cushioned
Watch the fifthening — pencil in the 20% reward cut when modelling payback periods longer than a year
Dual-mining options — some miners pair ETC with a second coin (e.g. Kaspa-family or Alephium) on supported software to squeeze more from the same watts; see our Alephium guide

Calculate your mining profitability right now

Use our real-time calculator with live difficulty and prices.

ETC Calculator → RVN Calculator → All Calculators

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ethereum Classic mining profitable with a GPU in 2026?

No, not at any grid tariff. Measured on 27 October 2026 (network hashrate 209 TH/s from a 2.716e15 difficulty median, ETC at $7.60), an RTX 4090 at 130 MH/s produces about 0.0068 ETC/day — roughly $0.05 — for 350 W, which costs $0.67/day at $0.08/kWh. Revenue covers about 8% of the power bill, and break-even lands near $0.006/kWh on every card we list. Undervolting changes the ratio by tens of percent; the shortfall is a factor of thirteen. Run your own card through the live Ethereum Classic calculator, but expect it to confirm this rather than overturn it.

What is the difference between Etchash and Ethash?

Etchash is Ethereum Classic's modified version of Ethash, adopted in November 2020 (ECIP-1099). It recalibrated the DAG size so that 3–4 GB GPUs — obsoleted on Ethereum at the time — could keep mining ETC, and it deliberately broke compatibility with existing Ethash ASICs. The mining workflow is otherwise identical to classic Ethash.

Does Ethereum Classic have halvings?

ETC reduces its block reward by 20% every 5 million blocks (roughly every two years) under ECIP-1017 — the community calls it the "fifthening" rather than a halving. The reward fell to 2.048 ETC in 2024 and to 1.6384 ETC at the following step, which is where it stands in October 2026; the next reduction takes it to 1.31072 ETC. The gradual 20% steps make revenue planning smoother than Bitcoin's 50% cliff.

Can I still mine ETC with a 4GB GPU?

For now, yes — Etchash's recalibrated DAG was designed to keep 4 GB cards alive, and the DAG grows slowly. However, 4 GB cards are close to the end of their useful window, and their efficiency (hashrate per watt) is usually poor by 2026 standards. Treat them as free-hardware opportunities, not purchases.

Topics: Ethereum Classic Mining Guide Etchash GPU Mining Getting Started

Francesco Zinghinì

Cryptocurrency analyst and technology writer specialising in blockchain infrastructure, mining economics, and digital asset markets. Founder of Redbit S.r.l.s. and editorial director of tuttosemplice.com.