If you want to know how to mine Bitcoin, you can take two different steps: Go through a cloud mining company, or buy and use purpose-built hardware. We’ll look at both options and why, though neither is cheap, cloud mining represents the safest investment for your money.
Cloud mining is the practice of renting mining hardware (or a portion of their hashing power) and having someone else do the mining for you. You are typically ‘paid’ for your investment with Bitcoin, even if the hardware isn’t used for mining Bitcoin. As with general investing, it’s essential to do your research — there are many companies out there that purport to be the best, and even the largest have their detractors.

Several cloud mining companies have come and gone over the years, including ones we’ve spoken to and validated directly, like HashFlare, which told Digital Trends in an interview that every one of its customers has turned a profit using its service. In early 2021, you’re far better off going with a company like Coinbase, an established and respected cloud mining entity. It’s expensive to get started but one of the best options out there.

For a broader range of options, CryptoCompare maintains a list of mining companies with user reviews and ratings, though be aware there are a lot of reviewers looking to shill their referral codes in the comment section.

Due to how expensive it is to set up the proper system, we only recommend mining Bitcoin yourself if you have ready access to plentiful and, crucially, cheap electricity. It also requires a high-quality network connection to support the traffic. Hardware-wise, nothing but the very latest generation ASIC miners have even a hope of making a profit from Bitcoin mining, so for direct Bitcoin mining, check out the Bull Miners.eu to see what you need.