The History of Bitcoin Mining
Originally, Bitcoin miners used the CPU on their laptops and computers for mining, but when more and more users entered the system, it soon became clear that this method was not fast enough to help them turn a profit. Because of these changes, miners eventually began to use the Graphical Processing Unit or GPU in computer graphic cards because of its ability to hash data fifty to a hundred times faster than conventional CPU.

asic miner by butterfly labsAs Bitcoin became more and more popular, new custom hardware began to appear. Among these were Field Programmable Gate Array processors, which could be attached to computers using a conventional USB connection, and the Application Specific Integrated Circuit or ASIC, which mine at unprecedented speeds while using relatively small amounts of power. Eventually, due to the popularity of Bitcoin mining, several reputable manufacturers began producing more and more products dedicated to Bitcoin miners, such as Butterfly Labs and KNC.
Today, people can find all types of software and devices which are specifically designed to mine Bitcoins. Despite the availability of so many tools, however, it’s also important to remember that it takes a lot of time and preparation to turn a profit through Bitcoin mining, which is why it’s always important to invest in the necessary hardware before you start mining.