ASUS has announced that it wants gamers to mine for crypto when they’re not playing games, putting their idle graphics cards to use.
Turning to Crypto
Despite the recent market slump, the Taiwan-based computer hardware company is turning its attention to crypto mining.
In a report from The Next Web, ASUS has teamed up with Quantumcloud, a blockchain technology provider, which has created the mining software. Those who mine for crypto – details on which coins are not known – will be able to cash out their earnings via WeChat or PayPal.
According to Quantumcloud, though, this isn’t something that will get miners rich.
It noted on its website:
You won’t get rich quick, but you can earn some easy money with your idle GPUs.
Notably, though, in a press release shared with TNW’s Hard Fork, it states that ASUS and Quantumcloud do not “guarantee that users of its software will make any earnings or profit.” Additionally, those that do should think about “their own usage costs.”
The partnership between ASUS and Quantumcloud comes at a time when crypto prices have dropped. Last week, Bitcoin fell to its lowest level this year, around the $3,200 mark. It has since risen and is currently trading at $4,015, according to CoinMarketCap.
Ether is trading at $113, Bitcoin Cash is at $173, whereas Litecoin is now valued at nearly $32. Compared to 2017 prices, the market has taken a decidedly different turn in 2018.
Yet, despite ASUS’ turn to the market now, it’s not the first hardware company to do so.
GPU Makers Struggle
Graphics processing units (GPUs) Nvidia and AMD have also stepped into the industry. During the bull run of 2017, they were both reaping the rewards of crypto. Yet, 2018 hasn’t been all rosy for them.
In fact, earlier this month, Nvidia reported a 19 percent drop in its shares due to a slowdown in crypto mining. According to the report, it faces a more than $20 billion loss in value.
Fellow GPU maker AMD has also struggled due to a tapering off of demand for the graphics cards to mine crypto. Unfortunately, if the market continues as it is, with Bitcoin’s hashrate falling, Nvidia and AMD may soon find themselves experiencing greater losses than they presently are.
Are you someone who has used their GPUs? Will you continue to do so with present market conditions or wait until things get better? Let us know in the comments below.
Images courtesy of ShutterStock