Algorithm compatibility: hardware must match the puzzle
Every proof-of-work chain runs one hashing puzzle, and hardware is only good at specific puzzles. A world-class SHA-256 ASIC contributes exactly zero hashrate to a RandomX chain. Check the algorithm before you check the price.
2026-10-19·updated 2026-10-19·3 min·pow.family research#hardware#algorithms
01
One chain, one puzzle
The algorithm defines the computation miners grind: SHA-256 (Bitcoin), scrypt (SOQ), RandomX (CPU-native, DragonX), pearlhash (PRL), BLAKE3-sequential (MDS), keccak variants, and so on. Your hashrate is only meaningful on its algorithm — 100 MH/s of kawpow is not comparable to 100 MH/s of scrypt, and neither helps the other chain at all.
| Algorithm family | Runs well on | Examples from our coverage |
|---|---|---|
| SHA-256 / BLAKE (simple hashes) | ASICs | Bitcoin; MDS (BLAKE3-sequential, ASIC-resistant by design) |
| scrypt-family | ASICs (modern), some GPUs | SOQ |
| Memory-hard GPU algos | GPUs | PRL pearlhash, kawpow-class |
| RandomX | CPUs (large caches) | DragonX, RandomX small chains |
| ProgPow / KaWPow variants | GPUs | GPU-only small chains |
02
The compatibility check
- Coin page → algorithm name → does my hardware class run it (ASIC/GPU/CPU)?
- Does a maintained miner binary exist for my OS and card generation? (No miner = no mining.)
- Is the algorithm's hashrate unit the same one benchmarks quote? (MH/s vs MH/s — but for the SAME algo.)
- Small chains: check the project's quick-start for the exact miner forks — forks of xmrig, sgminer, SRBMiner.
03
See it live on pow.family
Use the compatibility tool under Tools: pick GPU, CPU, or both and see which of the 19 tracked coins your rig can actually serve, with per-algo miner notes on each project page.