Minimum investment in mining: how much you need to start

You can try mining for a few thousand crowns. A machine that mines more than it uses in electricity at today's difficulty costs from roughly CZK 14,000 (the older Antminer S19k Pro), more efficient new models CZK 23,000–45,000 – and it needs cheap electricity, typically in hosting. The minimum investment therefore depends on what you expect from mining: to understand how it works, to add some heat at home, or to mine long term in hosting.

Summary

• Bitaxe and similar mini miners cost a few thousand crowns. They are a toy and a solo „lottery“; do not expect regular income.
• Quiet home miners cost in the order of CZK 12,000–45,000. At household electricity prices they pay off mainly when you use their heat instead of heating.
• Professional ASICs cost from about CZK 14,000 (S19k Pro) to CZK 45,000 (S21++), prices as of 18 October 2026. With a power draw of around 3 kW and noise above 70 dB, they belong in hosting.
• Besides the machine, budget for electricity – it is the largest running cost of mining.

How much you need to start: five levels

Indicative prices from our range as of 18 October 2026. Miner prices change with exchange rates and deliveries; you will find current prices on the page of each machine.

Why buying the machine is not enough: an electricity example

The purchase price is only half of the equation. A miner runs 24 hours a day, so the price per kilowatt-hour decides. We show it on two machines at today's difficulty and exchange rate (1 TH/s earns 0,84 Kč a day):

• Avalon Mini 3 at home: it mines about CZK 31 a day and uses 19.2 kWh. At CZK 5/kWh, electricity costs CZK 96 a day. As a source of income it does not pay off, but if you would otherwise pay for the same heat with an electric heater, mining returns part of your heating costs.
• Antminer S21++ in hosting: it mines about CZK 197 a day and uses 90.2 kWh. At the cheapest hosting location for 1,13 Kč/kWh, electricity costs roughly CZK 102 a day, leaving around CZK 95 before the pool fee.

Both figures change with network difficulty and the Bitcoin price. Do not take them as a promise of earnings, but as an illustration of why the same machine can lose money at home and make money in hosting.

Why it matters for miners

The cheapest entry is rarely the most profitable. Older machines are cheaper to buy, but they use more watts per TH/s – and you pay that difference every day. In the same hosting at CZK 1.13/kWh, an Antminer S19k Pro (23 J/TH) would today earn about CZK 26 a day after electricity, an S21++ (16 J/TH) around CZK 95. That is why, besides the price, you should always compare efficiency in J/TH and expect network difficulty to rise over time.

Other costs people forget: for home mining a dedicated circuit breaker, heat removal and possibly a soundproof box; for hosting, electricity paid as you go or prepaid for a longer period at a discount. How to mine at home and when it makes sense in the Czech Republic is covered in the article Cryptocurrency mining at home.

Related terms

• ASIC miner – what exactly you are buying.
• Pool payouts – how long until you receive your first coins.
• Which cryptocurrencies can be mined – and with what hardware.

What next

Work out your own scenario – machine, electricity price and location – in the mining investment calculator. If you have neither cheap electricity nor space for a noisy machine at home, take a look at ASIC miner hosting.

Sources

• ESP-Miner (Bitaxe) on GitHub
• Canaan: Avalon home miners