![Gridcoin](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSrVu8nAmgQn8UWeyxZ1UWx1SCe8f41MGyPEycFoLj4Pe/image.png) *Why Gridcoin is one of the best coins to mine with any kind of hardware*

Reason #1: Gridcoin supports science

Bitcoin uses a lot of processing power, and that means a lot of electricity. In fact, some estimates place the power usage of this one coin alone at around the power usage of 285,000 US homes ([source]("https://www.thebalance.com/how-much-power-does-the-bitcoin-network-use-391280">)). The question is, what does that power actually *do?* Many people would tell you that it is simply wasted, but that isn't really true. The processing power goes into the security of the blockchain, which is actually a worthy cause. But at some point, you have to start wondering if there's a better way to do this. After all, the compute-intensive hashes have no value outside of the blockchain. Enter Gridcoin. Gridcoin builds on the existing platform known as BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing) in order to help validate the blockchain. Gridcoin miners use their processing power not to compute hashes but to do scientific research. Instead of hashing you can search for aliens, cure disease, or research mathematics.

Reason #2: Gridcoin is easy to set up

If you want to mine many cryptocurrencies, you probably have to get some command-line application, compile it for your platform, and set it up running all the time. Stopping it would be a manual process, and there likely wouldn’t be a way to regulate the resources it uses. By contrast, BOINC is an old platform that supports many types of devices, and I am currently mining on both a smartphone and a raspberry pi. Another bonus is that BOINC is designed to be as user-friendly as possible. The smartphone app, for instance, is very careful not to consume extra battery, data, etc., by only computing when you tell it to.

Reason #3: You can mine with anything!

Many coins, like Bitcoin, pretty much require ASICs to mine. Others require GPUs, and still others require CPUs. A coin that can use any type of hardware is pretty rare. Because Gridcoin does actual, useful computation, it naturally needs a variety of devices. Have a GPU? There are Gridcoin projects that use those! How about a CPU? There are plenty of projects that use them, too! You can mine Gridcoin with almost any type of hardware you have, and because BOINC is designed to run seamlessly in the background, odds are you already have some great hardware to mine with.

Okay, so how do I get started?

Great, I’m glad you’re ready to join the Gridcoin project! Click [here](https://gridcoin.us/Guides/pool.htm) and follow the guide. I really recommend pool mining as you do not need to hold coins in order to mine. Also, pools provide a great interface to manage your devices and projects through the internet, and are significantly easier to set up than solo mining. Happy mining!