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Busted Cryptominers Might Have Mined on 3,800 PS4 Consoles
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) on Thursday reported that Ukrainian law enforcement has pulled the plug on a clandestine cryptocurrency mining farm in the city of Vinnytsia. The perpetrators had set up camp in an old warehouse and stealthily tapped into the city's power grid to mine cryptocurrency. Most interestingly, the miners were caught with a shocking number of Playstation 4's. And pretty much everything else, too.
The Ukrainian authorities reportedly seized up to 5,000 pieces of hardware, including over 500 graphics cards, 50 processors and 3,800 PlayStation 4 (PS4) consoles, all of which are in short supply in the U.S. and beyond, as well as other tidbits.
[...] The photographs showed an endless list of racks with PS4s that are apparently connected to the internet. While we've seen pictures of alleged PS4 mining setups before, there has never been any concrete evidence that you can actually mine cryptocurrency on a gaming console. Although, after seeing a DIY project with a Game Boy mining Bitcoin, anything is possible. And the fact that the Ukrainian miners had so many PS4s does suggest that they may have found a way to mine with them.
[...] Hypothetically, the PS4 Pro could potentially come close to a Radeon RX 580 in Ethereum mining.
Also at Wccftech.
Previously: Cryptocurrency Miners Are Building Their Own Electricity Infrastructure
Massive bitcoin mine discovered in UK after police raid suspected cannabis farm
Clampdown on Crypto Mining Cuts China's GPU Prices Nearly 45 Percent
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 10 2021, @08:45PM (11 children)
Maybe I should try mining with it, since I don't use it much. I assume it would cost me more in electricity, at standard residential rates, than I'd get in any cryptocurrencies, though.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 10 2021, @08:58PM (10 children)
Most likely, which is why these guys were stealing power. That is the only real crime mentioned. That it was for crypto-mining instead of a grow op is merely incidental. At 140W each, 3800 PS4s would draw 532kW, and that wasn't all they had. They can't have been operating for very long since power companies tend to notice that kind of unbilled load.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Saturday July 10 2021, @10:57PM (6 children)
This. Heating your home by burning $100 bills in the fireplace is cheap and convenient as long as it's someone else's $100 bills.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 11 2021, @01:29AM (5 children)
That's an interesting thought. All the excess energy ends up as heat so you can create a crypto mining heater if you plan to use that energy on an electric heater regardless. Little to no additional energy needed.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 11 2021, @01:39AM (2 children)
Next big invention, a crypto mining electric heater.
Heat up your room in those cold winters and make back some of the electrical cost of doing so at the same time with this crypto mining electrical heater!!! It contains many processors that mine for crypto and generate heat as the fans blow the excess hot air into your room keeping you warm!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 11 2021, @08:13AM (1 child)
wha..whe..who...wouldnt the energy you want for heating have all gone into the value of the coins? huh..?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 12 2021, @12:54AM
How does energy get transferred into the value of the coins?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 11 2021, @03:55AM
500kW would heat a sizable hydroponics facility.. Winter tomatoes anyone?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 11 2021, @04:59PM
Not just a thought. I've done it, and I'm sure countless others have as well. On cold nights, a card running at full burn easily generates enough heat to provide a decent amount of heating to a small room.
Although if you were living in an area where cold nights can't just be overcome by a blanket and sweater, then maybe not such a hot idea.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 10 2021, @11:57PM (1 child)
Well, since it's Jews doing the hoarding and stealing, they would have profited even without stealing electricity since they get the inside dibs on impending shortages and buy up everything they can for scalping.
Yes, that even included masks and PPE [justice.gov] from the start of the pandemic. From the link:
Coughing on FBI agents? Isn't that what lizards do in self defense, hiss and spit poison or something? Jews are such wretched goddamn animals, on so many levels.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 11 2021, @01:16AM
Fuck your stupid, shitty ass. How dumb are you? Plenty dumb.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday July 11 2021, @05:37PM