Equihash is a memory-hard proof of work built on the generalised birthday problem, designed by Alex Biryukov and Dmitry Khovratovich and launched with Zcash in 2016. Its parameters set the memory it needs; chains on other parameter sets (Equihash 144,5, the BTG variant) run different hardware and are not counted here. ASICs for this set appeared in 2018.
2 of the 5 chains have a hashrate a source publishes. Zcash receives 100% of the Equihash work measured here. Pirate Chain receives the other <0.1%: anyone running more than that fraction of the algorithm's machines could outmine it.
| # | Asset | Hashrate | Share of algo | Block time | Paid to miners / day | Issuance / yr | Difficulty 24h | Market cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | ZcashZEC | 31 GH/s | 100% | 1.3 min | $1.8M | 3.1% | +24.2% | $21.6B |
| 99 | Pirate ChainARRR | 1.20 MH/s | <0.1% | 1 min | $68 | 0.07% | −21.1% | $37M |
| 144 | KomodoKMD | — | — | 1 min | $109 | 0.4% | — | $10M |
| 173 | Ycash (y.cash)YEC | — | — | 1.3 min | $534 | 3.9% | — | $5M |
| 178 | ZClassicZCL | — | — | 2.5 min | $113 | 0.9% | — | $5M |
Hashrate is each chain's own work, comparable only within one algorithm. Paid to miners / day is block reward × blocks per day at the protocol's target block time × price — what the network spends on its own security. Block rewards come from WhatToMine, which averages transaction fees in for some chains; where it does not list a chain, the reward is derived from the halving schedule. Blank means no source publishes it.
5 in the CoinSpectrum ranking as of 28 October 2026: Zcash (ZEC), Pirate Chain (ARRR), Komodo (KMD), Ycash (y.cash) (YEC) and ZClassic (ZCL). Tokens never count — only chains with their own blockchain and consensus.
For chains on the same Equihash parameters, yes: a machine built for one mines the others. Chains on a different parameter set need different hardware, which is why they are listed under their own names.
About $1.8M a day across the chains listed, counting block reward × blocks per day × price on 28 October 2026. Zcash accounts for 100% of it.
It is the fraction of all the Equihash work listed here that the chain receives. Machines can switch between these chains freely, so a chain holding a small share can be outmined by anyone who controls more than that share of the algorithm's machines. A large share is the security; a small one is an exposure.
SHA-256ScryptX11RandomXKAWPOWEvery proof-of-work chain
Methodology — how each chain's consensus was decided. Wrapped, staked and pegged claims are listed separately and never counted.