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Yes: a Nintendo Game Boy can calculate Bitcoin proof-of-work hashes, as a 2021 hardware demo showed. But it is not a practical Bitcoin miner. The Game Boy did the hashing; a Raspberry Pi Pico carried data to a PC, which handled the network connection. The creator’s video labels a segment “Testchain,” and the available evidence does not establish a spendable Bitcoin mined on the live network.
What the Game Boy Bitcoin demo actually did
On 27 March 2021, hardware-hacking creator stacksmashing published a video attempting to mine Bitcoin with an original Game Boy and a Raspberry Pi Pico. The creator described the Pico as a link-cable-to-USB adapter, and the video timeline includes a segment labeled “Testchain.” Watch stacksmashing’s demonstration.
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That distinction matters: the project showed a Game Boy participating in a test-chain experiment, not a verified payout or a block mined on Bitcoin’s live network. The associated mining software repository also documents a testnet invocation. See the ntgbtminer repository.
How the hardware and software fit together
The Game Boy was the unusual part of the setup, but not the whole mining system. The 2021 coverage describes a chain of devices separating hash calculations from communication with the Bitcoin network.
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- Game Boy: A custom ROM ran from a flash cartridge and performed the hashing calculations.
- Modified Game Link Cable: This connected the handheld to the interface hardware.
- Raspberry Pi Pico: The Pico bridged the Game Boy link cable to USB. It carried communications; it did not replace the Game Boy as the hashing device.
- Level shifter: Tom’s Hardware reported that the cable used 5V logic while the Pico used 3.3V, so the demonstration used a four-channel bidirectional level shifter.
- Host PC: The computer supplied internet access, connected to the Bitcoin node/network, managed mining work, and received results from the Game Boy.
Tom’s Hardware and Hackaday both describe the custom ROM, flash cart, modified cable, Pico, and PC-based network connection. Tom’s Hardware’s project report and Hackaday’s summary provide the hardware context. The exact circuit and component models should be checked against the creator’s build resources before anyone attempts to reproduce the wiring.
Why it was not a realistic way to earn Bitcoin
Tom’s Hardware reported the Game Boy’s Sharp LR35902 processor at approximately 0.8 hashes per second in its 28 March 2021 coverage. The same report cited up to 100 terahashes per second for modern ASIC miners. Using those rounded, historical figures, the ASIC comparison is about 125 trillion times faster. These are figures reported in 2021, not independent benchmarks or a current comparison of mining hardware.
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![Nintendo Game Boy - Original (Gray) (Renewed) [video game]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41hTQ10ouWL._SL160_.jpg)
- Unlike modern handheld consoles, the GB Original does not have a back light and is best used in a well lit room or under a lamp.
The report’s “couple quadrillion years” estimate was an illustrative calculation, not a measured waiting time or a promise that a payout would eventually happen. The practical point is the immense difference in hashing rate: this was a retrocomputing demonstration, not a sensible mining or income strategy.
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The documented build used a flash cartridge for the custom ROM, a modified Game Link Cable, a Raspberry Pi Pico, a level shifter, and a PC with network access. The Pico is only one part of the interface; it does not turn a Game Boy into a miner by itself. The cited coverage does not establish specific compatible part models, prices, current availability, or complete reproduction instructions.
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For a build attempt, consult the creator’s project materials and the ntgbtminer software repository for software context, including its testnet instructions. Treat the test-chain setup as a learning exercise: the demonstration evidence does not show a live-network block or a spendable Bitcoin reward.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the project is still interesting
The demo is a neat meeting point between old handheld hardware and modern cryptocurrency software. Its significance is not that a Game Boy could compete with purpose-built miners; it is that a custom ROM could make the handheld perform hashing while a small microcontroller and PC handled the communications around it.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Original Game Boy
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- Product Type-Video Game Hardware
- Package Quantity-1
- Package Weight-0.440924524 Lbs
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