Since the dawn of Bitcoin, people have been wondering… how can I mine cryptocurrencies for free?

While there is no such thing as a free lunch, it’s still highly possible to mine cryptocurrencies for free or very close to it. But do note that you won’t become a millionaire overnight.

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The first thing to mining for free is that you need to figure out how to get free or close to free power. Below are 3 common ways people are already mining for free.

**#1 The apartment rent includes free electricity already**

**#2 Students get free energy as part of the room and board payment in their dormitory**

**#3 Homeowner has existing solar panels or hydropower which is above their usage needs**

Next, you’ll have to figure out how to get a free or close to free computer. For most, you may know someone with a spare computer processor (CPU) or spare parts that could be created to make a PC. Better yet, you yourself have existing computer that could be earning you money as you sleep.

![technology-computer-motherboard-chips-163140.jpeg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmdzrrgcN2vfLAu9ktRo8HCo6gEjP32oPyrJAbtrc1ChgB/technology-computer-motherboard-chips-163140.jpeg)

Some people I’ve known have been able to find parts for pennies on the dollar by going to recycling centers. While it’s technically not free, it’s still very close to being free.

Before you request your friend, family, or recycling center for parts, check out this list to see if you can spot some great CPUS for mining. https://bitrpc.com/intel-processor-cpu-hashrates-for-monero-mining/

Once you’ve found some good CPUs, the next step is to assemble a computer and download some type of operating system. You could go linux if you know how to work commands, but you could also try to find an old windows operating system from an existing laptop.

For linux users, you can google search online how to download linux and get the right setup, but for the purpose of this article, we’ll assume you can figure that out on your own.

Once your computer is loaded, the final thing is to make sure you’ve got a mining program to start hashing away. We recommend using Nicehash for ease of use as it pays out in Bitcoin.

Nicehash Link: https://www.nicehash.com/

Once you’ve downloaded Nicehash, check out this step by step video to see how to set it up for mining on your CPU.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QuiwmED7QU

That’s it and your off to the races!