To find gold, prospectors and mining companies excavate land and rivers in search of the precious metal. The rockier or deeper the extraction site, the greater the need for equipment, such as probes, excavators and dredgers. Cryptocurrency mining is similar. To “extract” Bitcoin (BTC), groups of people and companies dive into the digital currency network in search of some units. The more complex and competitive the search, the more powerful computers they need. In this book we explain how mining works and what is needed to get started in this profitable and complex activity.