There is no reliable current figure showing that a MacBook Pro makes money mining cryptocurrency. The “profitable, but only just” claim comes from a November 2021 test of an M1 Pro under the coin, software and market conditions at that time. Mining economics have changed, and today’s answer depends on the coin, the Mac’s measured performance, electricity costs and fees.
What the “profitable, but only just” claim actually means
On November 10, 2021, 9to5Mac reported that an M1 Pro achieved just over 5 MH/s while drawing 17 W in its test. A calculator used by the article estimated $12.82 per month after electricity—about $0.42 per day—under the assumptions then in use. The article also estimated a 17-year payback for someone buying a MacBook Pro solely to mine. Those are historical, attributed figures, not a forecast for a MacBook Pro in 2026 or a benchmark that applies to every coin: 9to5Mac’s 2021 report.
Profitability is not established by showing that a computer can run mining software or produce a hashrate. The available sources do not provide a reproducible current RandomX hashrate and outlet-power measurement for a named current MacBook Pro model, so they cannot support a current dollar-per-day estimate.
Which cryptocurrencies can a MacBook Pro mine?
Ethereum: no longer mineable
Ethereum proof-of-work mining is no longer an option. Ethereum’s official documentation says proof-of-work is no longer its consensus mechanism and mining has been switched off: Ethereum.org’s proof-of-work documentation.
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Monero: a CPU-oriented example, not a profit guarantee
Monero remains a proof-of-work network using RandomX, an algorithm designed for CPU mining. Monero says, “Monero can be mined on both CPUs and GPUs, but the former is much more efficient.” That makes Monero a more relevant example for a laptop than a GPU-oriented mining workload, but it does not show that a particular MacBook Pro will earn more than it costs to run. See Monero’s mining guide.
Bitcoin: distinguish the network from a project-specific miner
A repository describing an M5 Pro result for a Bitcoin 09 Argon2id miner does not establish performance or earnings for Bitcoin mainnet mining, Monero RandomX, or a general-purpose MacBook Pro. The project’s stated result is specific to that miner and algorithm: Bitcoin 09 Miner repository.
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How to work out whether mining covers your costs
For a Mac you already own, estimate daily net operating revenue as:
net per day = mining payout value − (measured wall watts ÷ 1,000 × 24 × electricity price per kWh) − pool and developer fees
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Use an up-to-date payout estimate based on the actual coin, current network difficulty and reward, and your measured sustained hashrate. Measure power at the outlet while the miner is running; a chip’s specifications or an adapter’s rated wattage is not the same thing as the computer’s mining draw. Monero’s XMRig and pool guidance points miners to compare hashrate with power costs.
- Payout value: Estimate what your expected mining share is worth using current network and market inputs. A hashrate alone does not determine a payout.
- Electricity: Convert measured watts to kilowatts, multiply by hours mining, then by your electricity price per kWh.
- Fees: Subtract any pool fee and miner developer fee that applies.
- Hardware cost: If you buy a Mac for mining, account separately for its purchase price and the value of using that money elsewhere. Covering electricity does not mean you have recovered the hardware cost.
- Uptime: Use realistic running hours, not an assumption that a laptop mines continuously without interruption.
The result is sensitive to changing coin prices, network difficulty, rewards and fees. Without a current model-specific sustained benchmark and measured wall power, a precise MacBook Pro earnings estimate would be guesswork.
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- BUCKLE UP — Along with a next-generation CPU, faster unified memory, and up to 2x faster SSD storage,* M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance and on-device training capabilities. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
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Solo mining, pools and P2Pool: what changes
Mining method affects how regularly rewards arrive and who controls the payout process; it does not make an unprofitable hardware-and-electricity combination profitable.
| Method | Payout pattern | Fees and control |
|---|---|---|
| Solo mining | Rewards may be infrequent, with long waits between payouts. | You mine independently rather than relying on a pool operator; payout timing is less predictable. |
| Conventional pool | Combining miners can make payouts more frequent than solo mining. | Pool fees and payout rules apply, and the operator introduces a trust and control consideration. |
| P2Pool | Uses a peer-to-peer pool approach; actual payout timing still depends on mining results. | Monero describes it as peer-to-peer and non-custodial, avoiding custody by a conventional pool operator. |
Monero’s mining guidance explains the pool options and their trade-offs. Check the current pool’s fee and payout conditions rather than assuming they are the same across services.
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- FAST RUNS IN THE FAMILY — The 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro or M5 Max chip brings next-generation speed and powerful on-device AI to personal, professional, and creative tasks. With all-day battery life, double the starting storage,* and a breathtaking Liquid Retina XDR display, it’s pro in every way.*
- BUCKLE UP — Along with a next-generation CPU, faster unified memory, and up to 2x faster SSD storage,* M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a more powerful GPU with a Neural Accelerator built into each core, delivering faster AI performance and on-device training capabilities. So you can blaze through demanding workloads at mind-bending speeds.
- BUILT FOR AI — Apple silicon, and every major component that powers it, is designed to run demanding on-device AI workloads like LLM inference and training. And Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly with groundbreaking privacy protections at every step.*
- ALL-DAY BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Pro delivers the same exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.*
- MACOS RUNS APPS FAST — All your go-to apps run lightning fast in macOS, including built-in apps like FaceTime and Messages. Plus, built-in virus protection and free software updates help keep your Mac running smoothly and securely.
Does a newer MacBook Pro make mining worthwhile?
Apple’s current MacBook Pro specifications list M5 Pro and M5 Max configurations, but CPU and GPU core counts, memory bandwidth, battery-life claims and power-adapter wattage are not mining benchmarks. Apple does not publish mining performance or earnings promises. Its MacBook Pro specifications describe hardware, not sustained RandomX hashrate or net mining income.
Apple says High Power Mode lets fans run faster and that added cooling may permit higher performance in intensive workloads: Apple Support on High Power Mode. That general guidance is not a mining-specific performance guarantee and does not establish that a cooling accessory will increase profitability.
If you still want to test a Mac you own
- Choose the coin and algorithm first. Confirm that the network still uses proof of work and that the intended miner supports the Mac and algorithm.
- Use trusted project sources. Monero’s official mining page provides macOS instructions for XMRig. Download software through the official project channels, review requested permissions and understand what the program will do before running it.
- Record the exact setup. Note the MacBook Pro model and chip, miner version, algorithm, pool choice and fees, and the time of the test.
- Measure sustained performance and outlet power. Use a stable run long enough to reflect normal operation, and record hashrate and wall watts rather than relying on advertised specifications.
- Calculate with current inputs. Apply your electricity rate and current payout, network and fee data. Recalculate when those inputs change; a result from one day is not a durable earnings promise.
For a meaningful comparison between MacBook Pro configurations, the useful evidence is a reproducible test of each exact model under the same algorithm, runtime and measurement conditions—not an inference from Apple’s general specifications.
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