ccminer by KlausT is a free, open-source mining program for Windows that uses NVIDIA graphics cards through CUDA. It is aimed at hobbyists and technically minded users who want to run a GPU miner on their own hardware and understand how the software works. The project builds on earlier CUDA miner work and was reworked and optimized by later contributors, so it is best viewed as a notable piece of GPU mining history rather than a fresh release. The latest version listed in the catalog is 8.26.
Before you install anything, pay attention to the project's age. The last code update was on January 28, 2022, more than four years before this page was published. That means the miner is no longer receiving recent fixes, and it may not behave well with newer drivers or hardware. Read the rest of this page with that in mind, and compare it with more actively maintained options if you plan to mine regularly.
What Is ccminer and Who Is It For
Mining software connects your computer to a network and performs the repetitive calculations needed to validate transactions and earn rewards. A miner is different from a wallet: it does not store your coins, but it needs a payout address to send rewards to. ccminer is a command-line style tool, so it suits people who are comfortable reading documentation and typing settings.
A typical user is someone with a gaming PC that has an NVIDIA graphics card. They might run the miner overnight to see how hashrate, temperature and power draw behave on their hardware. Others use it as a learning project to understand how GPU mining works before choosing newer software.
It is less suited to people who want a polished graphical interface or automatic updates. Because development has stopped, anyone using it should expect to handle configuration and troubleshooting on their own.
How CUDA Mining Works on NVIDIA Cards
CUDA is NVIDIA's parallel computing platform. It lets software send thousands of small calculations to the many cores inside a graphics card at once. Mining is a natural fit for this design because the same kind of hash calculation is repeated over and over with different inputs.
A CUDA miner relies on the NVIDIA driver to communicate with the card. If the driver is out of date or missing a required component, the miner may fail to detect the GPU or may run slowly. This is why checking the driver is an important early step.
GPU mining also produces considerable heat and draws significant power. Watching temperatures and fan speeds during the first sessions helps you spot problems early. Good airflow and a reasonable power limit are common practices among experienced hobbyists.
Key Mining Terms: Hashrate, Pools and Algorithms
Hashrate measures how many hash calculations a device performs per second. It is the most common number miners compare, but it does not tell the whole story. Power consumption, temperature stability and the stability of the connection to a pool matter just as much when you judge a setup.
A mining pool combines the work of many participants and shares rewards in proportion to the work each one contributes. Solo mining is possible but rarely practical on a single consumer GPU. When you configure ccminer, the pool address and your account or wallet details tell the software where to send its results.
An algorithm is the mathematical method a miner uses to validate work. Different coins use different algorithms, and a miner built for one algorithm will not automatically work for another. Checking which algorithms a program supports is therefore one of the first steps before you invest time in setup.
Key features
Lyra2 algorithm support
Bundled libraries for Windows
Ready-made Windows package
Supported coins
The documentation lists Bitcoin (BTC) as a supported coin and identifies Lyra2 as the mining algorithm. Because the program targets NVIDIA graphics cards through CUDA, it is meant for GPUs rather than ASICs or CPUs. Bitcoin is mined today almost entirely on specialized ASIC hardware, so for this coin a GPU miner is better seen as a learning tool than as a practical way to mine.
How to install ccminer (KlausT) on Windows
- 1
Get the package from the right place
Download only from the official website or the project's GitHub Releases page at github.com/KlausT/ccminer. Avoid mirror sites, repackaged installers and download managers that bundle extra software. Choose the Windows build or installer that matches your system.
- 2
Verify the file before running it
Compare the SHA-256 checksum of the downloaded archive or installer with the value published alongside the release. If the release includes a signature, verify that as well. Do not run any file whose hash does not match, and delete it if you cannot confirm where it came from.
- 3
Install or extract the build
Run the installer, or extract the archive into a folder of your choice such as a dedicated Mining folder on your drive. Keep the bundled OpenSSL, libcurl and pthreads files in the same folder as the executable. The maintainers' test build was compiled with Visual Studio 2015 on Windows 10, but that toolchain matters only if you build from source yourself.
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Prepare the NVIDIA driver and check the GPU
Install a current NVIDIA driver with CUDA support from NVIDIA's own driver page. Restart Windows, then open Device Manager and confirm the graphics card appears under Display adapters. Only after this check should you start the miner, so that any detection problems are easier to diagnose.
System requirements
- NVIDIA graphics card with CUDA support
- Windows with a current NVIDIA driver installed
How to use ccminer (KlausT)
Once installed, ccminer runs from a command window. The exact options depend on the build you downloaded, so read the README file in the package before your first run. The general workflow below works as a starting point for most setups.
- Open Command Prompt in the folder where the miner is located.
- Start the miner with the algorithm and pool address that your setup requires, using the options described in the README.
- Enter the wallet address or account name that the pool asks for, so that rewards are credited to the right place.
- Watch the hashrate, GPU temperature and fan speed during the first 15 minutes.
- Stop the miner cleanly with Ctrl+C when you are finished, rather than closing the window abruptly.
Keep your first session short. Testing for an hour or two shows whether the card stays stable before you run the miner for longer periods. If the hashrate drops sharply or the system crashes, lower the power limit in your GPU tools and try again.
Pros & cons
- Free and open source, with the code publicly available on GitHub
- Uses NVIDIA CUDA for GPU mining on Windows
- Offered as a ready-made Windows build or installer
- Bundled libraries reduce the number of separate downloads
- Supports the Lyra2 algorithm
- The last code update was January 28, 2022, so recent fixes are missing
- Works only with NVIDIA GPUs through CUDA
- The documented coin list is short, with Bitcoin as the main example
- Antivirus tools often flag mining software, which adds friction to setup
Is ccminer (KlausT) safe?
ccminer has not received code updates since January 28, 2022, which means it no longer gets security patches. Treat it as legacy software and use it with caution, especially on a machine that holds personal files or other accounts. Download only from the official website or the GitHub Releases page, and check the SHA-256 checksum or signature before running anything. Never enter a seed phrase into the miner, into a pool form or on any third-party website. Your payout address is public, so keep the wallet that receives rewards under your own control. Antivirus tools often flag mining software because of its GPU load and network activity. If that happens, verify the file's checksum first and add an exception only for that verified file. Never disable your protection entirely. For the latest version, check the official website before you download.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/KlausT/ccminer. Ignore ads and lookalike domains.
- Check the SHA-256. Compare the installer hash with the value the developer publishes before running it.
- Never share your seed phrase. No developer, support agent or website — including CryptApps — will ever ask for it.
Alternatives
ccminer sits among several GPU and niche miners in this catalog, and each one serves a different purpose. The tpruvot fork is the closest relative, since both come from the same CUDA lineage, so comparing them shows how the codebase has changed over time. The ccminer Verus build targets ARM and CPU hardware rather than NVIDIA cards, and Cpuminer GR runs on CPUs for the GhostRider algorithm. GMiner and BzMiner are general GPU miners for NVIDIA hardware, and BFGMiner handles ASIC and FPGA devices. T-Rex is described as discontinued, so it is not a long-term choice either. RustChain works differently, as a blockchain that rewards vintage hardware rather than a conventional GPU miner.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- —
- Latest version
- 8.26
- Last update
- 28 Jan 2022
- Windows support
- Yes (Windows build or installer)
- Source code
- github.com/KlausT/ccminer
Frequently asked questions
It can be, if you get it from the project's GitHub Releases page and verify the SHA-256 checksum before running it. The software has not received code updates since January 28, 2022, so it no longer gets security fixes. Keep it isolated from important accounts and never enter a seed phrase into the miner or on any website.
No, not actively. The last code update was on January 28, 2022, which is more than four years before this page was published. You can still download and run it, but you should not expect new features, driver compatibility updates or security patches. Newer software may be a better fit for regular mining.
No. The program is built around NVIDIA hardware through CUDA, so AMD cards are not its target. If you own an AMD GPU, you will need a miner designed for that hardware and its driver stack. Check the software's documentation before you download anything.
The documentation lists Bitcoin (BTC) and identifies Lyra2 as the mining algorithm. Coin support depends on the algorithm, so a miner built for Lyra2 will not automatically work with every network. Bitcoin itself is mined mostly on ASIC hardware, so GPU mining here is mainly a learning exercise.
No, not for the ready-made Windows build. The tested variant was compiled with Visual Studio 2015 on Windows 10, which matters only if you build the source code yourself. Most users will simply extract or install the package and keep the bundled libraries in the same folder.
Antivirus tools often flag mining software because miners use heavy GPU resources and make network connections that resemble suspicious activity. Verify the SHA-256 checksum of your file first. If the hash matches, add an exception only for that verified file instead of turning off your protection.
You need a wallet address or pool account to receive rewards, but the miner itself does not store coins. Use a wallet that you control and back up its seed phrase offline. Never paste your seed phrase into the miner's settings, a pool form or a website.
Verdict
ccminer is a useful learning tool for hobbyists with NVIDIA graphics cards who want to understand CUDA mining on Windows. It is free, open source and simple to inspect, but it has not received code updates since January 2022. That makes it better suited to experiments and historical study than to long-term operation. If you want actively maintained software, compare it with GMiner or BzMiner before you commit to a setup.