How To Mine Decred in the Pool using NVIDIA GPUs (ccminer)

To mine Decred, first go join a pool. In this tutorial we will use Suprnova Pool. Please visit the page Decred PoW Charts to see the full list of availiable proof-of-work pools and their stats.


Create a new account using your email, and set up your new worker at My Account > My Workers.


To create a new worker, go to "Add new worker" and fill in the blanks. Your worker name and password will be whatever you want. (e.g. Worker name is Test, and password is 4321. Including the login name as RyanBC, the worker login would be RyanBC.Test"


Then download the nVidia GPU miner, also known as ccminer. You will need 7-zip or WinRAR to extract the files. (Any program which extracts files will do)


Then create a new folder on your desktop. Extract the files from the downloaded 7z file to the newly created folder. Edit the RUN-DCR.cmd file inside the folder by right clicking it and selecting "Edit".


You will see something like this:

Change "tpruvot" to your Suprnova login username, and "win" to your worker name. Change "x" to your worker password.


For example, the sample login name is RyanBC, worker name is Test, and password is 4321, so it will look something like this:


Now you should be ready to start mining with your nVidia graphics card. As long as you leave the miner open, you will be mining non-stop. (Unless you close the miner)


See the full tutorial in this video:

Understanding the Value of the Decred (DCR) System

By now most people understand the concept of a distributed ledger and understand software is continually updated to support that process for all cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Etherium (ETH) and Decred (DCR). If you would like to brush up that basic understanding start with a one page primer at bitcoin.org before continuing to read.

Many people who have followed Bitcoin (BTC) for some time have seen the potential for the damaging impact of failed decision making in the development community. If you are not familiar with this, perhapsreading from one of the Bitcoin (BTC) developers Mike Hearn (who has one of the more extreme views) will help you understand how negative a failed decision making process and a lack of real scalable development support is.

Briefly Mike's explanations why Bitcoin network has failed is because the community has failed. What was meant to be a new, decentralized form of money that lacked “systemically important institutions” and “too big to fail” has become something even worse: a system completely controlled by just a handful of people. Worse still, the network is on the brink of technical collapse. The mechanisms that should have prevented this outcome have broken down, and as a result there’s no longer much reason to think Bitcoin can actually be better than the existing financial system.
How is Decred (DCR) different?

Unlike other currencies, Decred has a transparent process of rewarding developers for their contribution built into the mining process. When blocks rewards are granted, developers receive 10%, and those mining receive 90%. As the value scales, so does the development payout, ensuring resources are appropriately scaled.

Secondly, and equally as important, the payout to mining (unlike other currencies) is split between "Proof of Work" and "Proof of Stake" mining. Proof of Work (PoW) mining is the typical mining which processes transactions and ensures the security of the distributed ledger.

Proof of Stake (PoS) is a new addition which gives a voice to those who use/hold the currency Decred (DCR). Each time a block was found, 5 Decred (DCR) users who participating in voting (PoS-mining) are selected at random to cast a vote and they receive 30% of the block reward for doing so (6% each). To buy a ticket for voting they should lock their coins (current PoS ticket price) for quite long time (in average 28 days, but up to 5 months, when they cannot use or spend amount locked for PoS tickets).

In addition to the reward, these users also have the option of voting Yes or No if there is a decision to be made (accept software change, etc...). These PoS miners vote always for a previous block, and if it receive 3 / 5 "No" votes, nobody except PoS-miners receive reward and block will be removed from blockchain.

So again, how is Decred (DCR) different?

Bitcoin (BTC) first brought us a distributed ledger.

Decred (DCR) also has a distributed ledger, but additionally has brought us:

A distributed system of approving/denying changes and PoW mining rewards through PoS mining.

A distributed system of rewarding the development team to ensure resources are available to further the project decision making system. This budget is using to pay community members for the development of new resources and features for Decred Software. See the list of "Requests for Proposals" and payments on official forum.