Why Are Gamers Suddenly Becoming Crypto Enthusiasts?

Cryptocurrency and gamers: where’s the connection? And that’s a very valid question indeed, because one normally associates gaming with consoles and playing for the fun of it, not to invest and make money. But that’s not to say that gamers are all about just fun; there’s more to the average gamer than meets the eye – and they’re turning into crypto enthusiasts in their droves. Here’s the why of it all.

Crypto-mining to Take Advantage of Existing Hardware

Enter crypto-mining, a possibly lucrative endeavor. But it doesn’t come without risks. In recent times, gamers have become increasingly interested in crypto mining, which involves utilizing the processing power of a gaming system as a means to figure out intricate mathematical equations. The result? They generate coins. While the process can indeed be profitable, it can be equally risky, since it’s energy-intensive and puts strain on a gaming system’s hardware. Additionally, the risk versus reward is also debatable because crypto’s price is notorious for its highly volatile nature.

Crypto Mining in the Off-time: Why it’s Under the Microscope 

A gamer can’t game 24/7, however they can mine crypto 24/7. Instead of letting their GPUs lay dormant when they are at work, sleeping, or not gaming, they can put their hardware to use on various crypto algorithms to generate coins. While solo crypto-mining isn’t as lucrative as it once was, it still allows gamers to have maximum utilization of their systems with a reward at the end of it.

This isn’t news to hardware manufacturers. In 2021, Nvidia, the world’s leading GPU manufacturer, announced that they would be limiting the efficiency of their new graphics card if it was put to use as an Ethereum mining component. While crypto-mining is an income-generating activity, it’s still a significant cause of environmental pollution. The energy used to mine crypto “exceeds the total annual electricity usage of many individual countries, such as Argentina or Australia,” according to a report by the White House.

While this is alarming to many, there are many solutions to the issue, such as Proof-of-Stake cryptocurrencies like Cardano and Tron. These cryptos, while not the most popular in the world, continue to garner attention from investors and hobbyists alike.

Miners vs. Gamers

The crypto mining boom has led to a shortage in chips worldwide, pitting gamers and miners against each other in a race to snap up the chips necessary for both. For clever gamers, this has made them pay attention, and realize that their gaming rig has other uses than just the latest and greatest online games. If you head over to the comments sections in subreddits, you’ll find plenty of “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” chatter, along with plenty of bemoaning of the state of purchasing, too.

For gamers that haven’t capitalized on crypto-mining for their machines, the animosity runs strong. But like any advance in technology and change in the market, there is little that people can do. Complaining about miners won’t stop the mining – which is why many have decided to join the revolution.

Diffusion of Gaming in Web3

Crypto-mining isn’t the only crypto activity sparking up the gaming community. Thanks to coins like Axie Infinity, and the associated games and NFTs, new-wave gaming is having a big moment. Unlike crypto-mining, these Web3 games generate crypto-wealth by playing the games and collecting the NFTs for sale on online marketplaces.

While the games themselves are nowhere near as lifelike and realistic as Call of Duty, having more in common with cute mobile games, they are not without their strategy. Many gamers have found themselves lured by the promise of generating wealth by playing a game; an activity they love to indulge in anyway.

The Highs and Lows of Crypto

As any crypto-enthusiast will attest to, there is a lot of volatility in the markets. From the dizzying heights of the crypto boom, we’re now in a crypto winter of sorts. For many miners, the cost to run the electricity needed to generate coins is now more expensive than the price of the coins themselves.

For gamers looking to gain inroads by crypto-farming, it’s recommended that you do the calculations on how much it will cost to mine crypto versus the expected coins that you will receive in return. You might just find that it costs more to mine than just letting your hardware stay dormant.

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