Tesla Cars Used for Cryptocurrency Mining by US Eccentrics: "Earn 960,000 KRW per Month vs. Only 2 Dollars" Controversy

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jaehee] Interest is growing as the experience stories of eccentric individuals mining cryptocurrency using the internal devices of Tesla electric vehicles in the United States have come to light.

According to CNBC on the 9th (local time), San Francisco entrepreneur Siraj Raval and Wisconsin inventor Chris Alesi are reported to have successfully mined Bitcoin and Ethereum using Tesla vehicles.

Cryptocurrency mining requires electricity and computers. Mining involves solving complex mathematical calculations with computers to organize transaction records among users, and in return, miners receive cryptocurrency.

Raval is known to have secured electricity and computers for cryptocurrency mining using a 2018 Tesla Model 3. He hacked Tesla’s internal computer to connect the graphics processing unit (GPU) necessary for Ethereum mining with Tesla’s electric motor, and operated an Apple small computer with Bitcoin mining software installed by connecting it to Tesla’s 12V power socket.

Raval said, "Tesla is a computer on wheels," and "hacking this computer car is very simple."

Wisconsin inventor Alesi modified a Tesla Model S and succeeded in mining cryptocurrency.

He is reported to have mined cryptocurrency by connecting Bitcoin mining devices to the Tesla car battery with the help of a power converter or by linking the vehicle’s internal web browser with some altcoin mining sites.

Whit Gibbs, founder of Bitcoin mining service company Campus, said, "Tesla cars have all the mechanisms needed for cryptocurrency mining."

However, opinions differed on whether cryptocurrency mining using Tesla cars is profitable.

Raval claimed that even considering the cost of charging the Tesla car battery, he made a monthly profit from Ethereum mining last year and earned up to $800 (approximately 960,000 KRW).

On the other hand, Alesi argued that cryptocurrency mining using Tesla cars is almost worthless and not profitable.

He is a customer who purchased a Tesla car before January 2017 and can charge unlimitedly at Tesla’s free charging stations.

Alesi stated, "The difficulty of the mathematical problems for cryptocurrency mining has increased, so I probably earned Bitcoin worth only 1 to 2 dollars," adding, "You can earn more money working at McDonald’s."

Cryptocurrency miner Thomas Sommers also said that considering the maximum computational processing power of the Tesla Model 3, the Ethereum mining revenue is only $13.38.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.