If you already have a SHA-256 ASIC —the same type of hardware used for Bitcoin's SHA-256d— switched on and mining Bitcoin, there is a question that is easier to answer than you might think: what if you pointed that exact same hardware at Bitcoin Cash instead? You would not need to buy anything new, because BCH uses the same proof-of-work algorithm as Bitcoin. What changes completely, though, are your Bitcoin Cash solo mining odds, because the BCH network runs on a fraction of Bitcoin's total hashrate. This article explains, with concrete figures, what that means for your ASIC, how those odds can shift over time because of the ASERT difficulty algorithm, and what you give up in exchange for better odds.
The Same Chips, a Much Smaller Haystack
Bitcoin Cash is a fork of Bitcoin and it kept the same proof-of-work algorithm, SHA-256d. That means an Antminer S19, an S21, or even a Bitaxe can point its hashrate at BCH without changing the hardware or, usually, installing different firmware: it is simply a matter of updating the pool configuration. At the time of writing, Bitcoin sits at around 900-1,000 EH/s of hashrate, while Bitcoin Cash runs at roughly 3 EH/s. In other words, BCH's hashrate is on the order of a few hundred times smaller than Bitcoin's. Since your solo block-finding odds are, in essence, your hashrate divided by the network's total hashrate, mining into a much smaller haystack drastically cuts the expected time to find a block with the exact same ASIC.
How ASERT Changes Bitcoin Cash Difficulty
Bitcoin re-targets its difficulty every 2,016 blocks, roughly every two weeks, so the mining target stays fixed for the whole of each period. Bitcoin Cash works differently since its November 2020 upgrade: it uses ASERT (Absolutely Scheduled Exponentially Rising Targets), which recalculates the difficulty target for every single new block. The algorithm compares elapsed time against the ideal pace of one block every ten minutes and progressively adjusts difficulty whenever the chain runs ahead of or behind that schedule. In practice, this means that if a cluster of large miners joins or leaves the BCH network, difficulty can shift visibly within days, and your Bitcoin Cash solo mining odds along with it. It is worth re-checking your numbers reasonably often instead of assuming today's estimate will still hold a month from now.
Repointing an Existing Bitcoin ASIC at Bitcoin Cash
Because both networks use the same proof-of-work algorithm, switching networks usually comes down to changing your ASIC's pool configuration, not the hardware itself. The usual steps are:
- Log into your ASIC's web interface (Antminer, Whatsminer, Bitaxe or similar) via its local IP address.
- Swap the Bitcoin pool URL for your Bitcoin Cash solo pool URL, using your BCH address as the worker username.
- Confirm the firmware can mine SHA-256d networks without a coin lock (the vast majority of modern ASICs run it natively).
- Restart mining and check the pool dashboard to confirm the ASIC is submitting shares correctly and that the reported hashrate reasonably matches what you expect.
- Recalculate your odds using current BCH hashrate and difficulty figures, rather than reusing numbers you worked out for Bitcoin.
What Your Hashrate Actually Buys You
Concrete numbers help take this out of the abstract. With the Bitcoin Cash network currently hundreds of times smaller than Bitcoin's in hashrate, here is what typically changes when you repoint the same hardware:
| Hardware | Approx. hashrate | Expected time on BCH | Annual probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitaxe | 1 TH/s | ~57 years | ~1.7% |
| Antminer S19 | 110 TH/s | ~6 months | ~85% |
| Antminer S21 | 200 TH/s | ~3.4 months | ~97% |
These figures are approximate statistical estimates, using a BCH network of around 3 EH/s as the reference point at the time of publication. They do not indicate how long any specific miner will actually take to find a block: use OwnBlock's calculator to recalculate them against current difficulty.
- Bitaxe or Nerdaxe (~1 TH/s): odds remain very long on either network, but the expected time on BCH can be a considerably smaller multiple than on BTC.
- An Antminer S19 at ~110 TH/s: against a network of around 3 EH/s, the expected time falls into the order of months, though that is no guarantee of finding a block within that window.
- An Antminer S21 at ~200 TH/s: odds keep improving, and this is the hashrate range where the gap versus attempting the same thing on Bitcoin becomes most obvious.
- Rented hashrate (NiceHash, MiningRigRentals): lets you temporarily boost your BCH mining power without buying extra hardware, though the rental cost needs weighing carefully against the mathematical odds of finding a block.
The Trade-off Hiding Behind Better Odds
Shorter odds are not a guarantee or a schedule: they remain a statistical average, and solo mining variance means you can still wait far longer than expected, or find a block sooner than expected. On top of that, improving your odds by switching networks has a real cost: Bitcoin Cash trades well below Bitcoin's price and has thinner liquidity, so a block found on BCH is worth considerably less in absolute terms than one found on BTC, even though it took less time to find. The decision, then, is not "BCH is better than BTC," it is a conscious trade-off between expected time and value per block that every miner needs to weigh against their own hardware and appetite for variance.
Turning the Comparison Into a Decision
Rather than settling for the general idea that Bitcoin Cash solo mining odds tend to be shorter, plug your own hashrate into OwnBlock's free calculator, which uses live BCH difficulty to give you a real expected time and a probability breakdown by day, month and year. If the numbers convince you, you can start mining straight away on OwnBlock's Bitcoin Cash solo mining pool, with no KYC, no custodial balance, and 98% of the block reward going to the miner under the current fee, paid directly to your address from the coinbase transaction. Your ASIC already knows how to do the work; the only thing left to decide is which network to point it at.