Minerd is a free, open-source daemon written in Go for miners and mining pool operators who run their setups on top of walletd. It wraps the functionality of walletd and adds tools aimed at mining work, while serving the same web interface and API endpoints. If you want Minerd for Windows, this guide explains what it does, how to install it, and where it fits next to similar programs.
The project was updated recently and its latest release is v0.5.5, so it is not a dormant tool. The project states that it builds for Windows, but the Releases page is the place to confirm that a Windows binary is attached to the version you choose. Because minerd handles a payout address, a careful download and a correct configuration matter more than any single feature.
What Minerd Adds on Top of walletd
walletd is a wallet daemon, and minerd does not replace it. Instead, minerd wraps walletd's functionality and adds features that matter to people running mining operations, such as a dedicated place to define where mining rewards should be paid.
Because minerd serves the same web interface as walletd, screens and navigation feel familiar to anyone who has used walletd before. The same API endpoints mean that tools already written against walletd can, in principle, be tested against minerd without a full rewrite.
This layered design is useful to understand before you start. Think of minerd as a companion layer: it organizes mining-related settings around a wallet service you may already trust, rather than being a separate wallet with its own separate keys and history.
Who Minerd Is For
Minerd is aimed at people who already work with walletd or are comfortable with a wallet-backed setup. Typical readers include miners who run their own rigs, small pool operators who want clearer control over payout settings, and developers who want to read how a mining-focused daemon is put together.
Consider a small operator who runs a few machines and wants to change the payout address without editing several scripts. Setting the address once in minerd.yml, or in an environment variable, makes that change a single step.
Developers may find the open source code useful as a reference. Reading how a daemon exposes a web interface and API next to mining settings can clarify how similar tools are structured, even if you never run the program in production.
How a Daemon Fits Into a Mining Setup
A daemon is a program that runs in the background and waits for requests, instead of opening a window you click through. Minerd works this way, which means you start it once and then interact with it through its web interface or API endpoints.
Several terms come up often. A hashrate is the speed at which a mining device performs hash calculations. A payout address is the identifier that tells a pool or mining software where rewards should be sent. An API endpoint is a URL that a program calls to read or change data.
Understanding these pieces helps you troubleshoot. If a setting appears to be wrong, check the payout address source first: the command-line flag, the environment variable, or the minerd.yml file. Only one value should be the source of truth, so keep your configuration tidy.
Key features
Payout address command-line flag
Environment variable for payout address
Payout address in minerd.yml
How to install Minerd on Windows
- 1
Find the official release
Open the official GitHub Releases page for the siafoundation/minerd project. Download only from the official website or GitHub, and pick the newest release that includes a Windows build. If no Windows file appears in the release assets, do not use a copy from another site.
- 2
Verify the download
Compare the SHA-256 checksum of the file you downloaded with the value published on the release page. If the project provides a signature, check that too. A mismatch means the file should not be run, and you should download it again from the same official source.
- 3
Extract to a folder you control
Unzip the archive or move the executable into a dedicated folder, such as a directory you create for mining tools. Keep the folder out of shared or temporary locations, so that you always know which file is running and where its configuration lives.
- 4
Set the payout address
Choose one method: pass the mining.payoutAddress flag at launch, set the MINERDPAYOUTADDRESS environment variable, or add the payoutAddress field under the mining section of minerd.yml. Double-check the address character by character before starting.
-
Start and check the interface
Launch minerd from the Command Prompt or PowerShell in the folder where you extracted it. Read the console output for the local address of the web interface, then open it in your browser to confirm that minerd is running and reading your settings.
How to use Minerd
Minerd is run from the command line, so the steps below assume you are comfortable opening a terminal in the folder where the program is stored. Work through them in order, and change one setting at a time so you can see what each change does.
- Decide which payout address you want to use and confirm that it belongs to a wallet you control.
- Choose a single place to store that address: a command-line flag, an environment variable, or the minerd.yml file.
- Open a terminal in the minerd folder and start the program with your chosen method.
- Read the console output to find the local address for the web interface.
- Open that address in your browser and confirm that the interface shows the payout setting you expect.
- Test the API endpoints with a simple read-only request before connecting any automation.
- When you are finished, stop the program cleanly from the terminal instead of closing the window abruptly.
- Keep a dated copy of your minerd.yml file so you can roll back if a later change causes problems.
Pros & cons
- Free and open source, with the code available on GitHub for review
- Wraps walletd and serves the same web interface and API endpoints
- Three ways to set a payout address: flag, environment variable or config file
- Recently updated, with a clearly named latest release
- Suited to automation, since settings can be stored in environment variables or a config file
- Windows availability depends on the release you pick, so you must check the Releases page
- Most useful to people already familiar with walletd
- Command-line workflow may feel unfamiliar to casual users
- Mistyped payout addresses can send rewards to the wrong place, so checks are on you
Is Minerd safe?
Minerd sits close to money, because it manages a payout address. Download it only from the official GitHub Releases page for the siafoundation/minerd project, and compare the SHA-256 checksum with the value published there. If a signature is provided, verify it as well. Never enter a seed phrase, private key or wallet password on a third-party website or in a program that asks for it unexpectedly.
Mining software is often flagged by antivirus tools, sometimes as a false positive. If your protection flags minerd, check the checksum first, then consider adding an exception only for the verified file. Never turn off your antivirus entirely to make the program run. Finally, double-check every payout address before you start mining, because a single wrong character can misdirect rewards.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/siafoundation/minerd. 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
Minerd is not a mining pool server, and it is not a stratum proxy. Its focus is a daemon that wraps walletd and adds payout settings for miners and operators. That makes it different from the other programs in this category.
MiningCore is open-source software for building mining pools and supports Ergo, so it suits operators who want to run a full pool. P2Pool is a decentralized pool for Monero. XMRig Proxy is a stratum proxy for mining farms, and ErgoStratumProxy is a stratum proxy designed for open-source Ergo miners.
If you need to run a pool or proxy traffic between miners, one of those programs may fit better. If your main need is a walletd-based daemon with payout settings and a familiar interface, Minerd is the more direct choice.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- —
- Latest version
- v0.5.5
- Last update
- 20 Oct 2026
- Windows support
- Likely (builds for Windows; check releases)
- Source code
- github.com/siafoundation/minerd
Frequently asked questions
Yes, Minerd is listed as free and open source. You can read its code on GitHub, and the project publishes releases you can download. Check the Releases page to confirm which files are available for your version and system.
It is safe when you download it from the official GitHub Releases page and verify the SHA-256 checksum before running it. Never enter a seed phrase or private key on third-party websites. Mining software can trigger antivirus alerts, so check the file rather than disabling your protection.
The project states that it builds for Windows, but availability depends on the release. Open the Releases page and look for a Windows file attached to the version you want. If none is present, the program may need to be built another way, which is outside the scope of a simple download.
A payout address is the identifier that tells mining software or a pool where rewards should be sent. It must belong to a wallet you control. Double-check it before starting, because rewards sent to a wrong address are difficult or impossible to recover.
You can use the mining.payoutAddress command-line flag, the MINERDPAYOUTADDRESS environment variable, or the payoutAddress field under the mining section of minerd.yml. Pick one method and keep it consistent, so you always know which value the program reads.
No. Go is the language the program is written in, but running a ready-made build does not require Go installed on your computer. You only need Go if you choose to compile the program from source yourself.
Minerd wraps the functionality of walletd and adds features useful for miners and mining pools. It serves the same web interface and API endpoints, so it works as a companion layer around walletd rather than a replacement for it.
Verdict
Minerd suits people who already use walletd or want a mining-focused daemon around it, and who are comfortable with a command-line tool. It is free, open source and recently updated, with three clear ways to set a payout address. If you are new to mining software, learn what a payout address does and practice a verified download before you commit. Check the latest version on the official website before installing, and compare it with the alternatives mentioned above.